Searching for the Light
by musicaldoctor1819
Summary: Third story in the Healing the Dark series. A Solangelo story. Nico di Angelo grapples with his identity and where he belongs, with Will Solace along for the ride. Will Nico find where he belongs or is he destine to be an outcast? Themes of self-harm, anxiety, and depression are depicted within this story. Rated M for themes, imagery, and language.
1. Chapter 1: Search Party

Disclaimer: All rights reserved to Rick Riordan. I own nothing, but the plot.

Themes of self-harm, anxiety, and depression are depicted within this story. TRIGGER WARNING! Please do not read if these themes upset you. TRIGGER WARNING!

Criticism is appreciated, but please no hate. Please review and leave suggestions! Enjoy!

Nico's POV:

The search party is what woke Nico. He jumped awake as he heard "thank the gods". He looked around quickly, forgetting where he was. He was on the beach. Will was next to him, blinking sleep from his eyes, but he looked alert, ready to defend if needed. They had fallen asleep together on the blanket. Both boys stood, searching the immediate area. A group of demigods was smirking at them, but Nico could sense their fear under the amusement.

"Oh, you guys are going to be in so much trouble." Lou Ellen said.

"What's going on? Why are you all here?" Will asked. Lou Ellen, Kayla, Connor, and Nyssa were all in the group. A little ways away, Chiron had started galloping over.

"Mr. Solace, Mr. di Angelo, thank the gods." Relief flowed through Chiron's words. What had happened? "What were you two doing? Why weren't you in your cabins?"

"What's going on?" Nico asked, ignoring the barrage of questions.

The demigods all looked at each other. Worry lined the face of their teacher. "Why don't you explain Connor?"

Connor started explaining solemnly. He seemed so lifeless without his brother who had gone off to college. "I woke up in the middle of the night to use the restroom and I noticed that Cecil wasn't in his bed. I didn't really think about; just thought he was walking around or something like that."

"Are you aware of the fact that we have a curfew Mr. Stoll?" Chiron interrupted. Connor smiled meekly at him.

"Sure, but it's more of a suggestion right?" Chiron didn't say anything. Connor continued. "I went back to bed. I woke up again this morning, and he was still missing. No note, no anything. All of his stuff was in the cabin. I started searching around the camp, but I couldn't find him."

He paused for a moment. Nyssa took up where he left off. "Then, he ran into me. I was looking for Leo, because he had disappeared as well. We went to Calypso's cabin and realized she was missing too. As we were coming back, we ran into Kayla."

Kayla started her portion of the story. "You weren't in your bed or the infirmary, Will. I got nervous. We went to the Hades cabin, and when Nico was gone, we realized we needed help. We went to Chiron to organize a search party. And we stumbled upon you guys."

"What were you guys doing?" Connor wiggled his eyebrows suggestively as he asked the question. So his humor hadn't completely gone away with his brother.

"We had dinner on the beach last night, and we fell asleep." Will explained.

"Even you fail to comply with the curfew, Mr. Solace?" Chiron asked. "Don't think just because we are relieved that we found you means that you will escape without consequence. You've broken multiple rules!"

"What were you guys doing out here?" Connor repeated his question.

"We fell asleep-" Will started.

"Nothing else?" Connor teased. "No kissing or-?"

"I believe that the missing demigods should be what we are worrying about right now." Nico snapped. Connor stopped his joking. "I was talking to Leo and Calypso yesterday and they were talking about leaving anyway. Has anyone tried contacting them?"

"Not yet." Nyssa said.

"Was their stuff in their cabins?" Nico asked.

"No, it was like they left without a trace."

"We can check their cabins again, see if they left anything behind." Nico ordered. Nyssa blinked, but followed his command without question. She brought Lou Ellen with her to see if the girl could find any hidden magic or traps that Leo may have set.

"Cecil is still missing." Will spoke up. Nico looked at his boyfriend. Once again, Nico had failed to notice Will's true feelings. He was worried. Nico sometimes forgot that Cecil was Will's best friend. They were the type of friends who could rarely talk and still remain quite close.

"We will keep looking for him okay?" Nico reassured, putting his hand on Will's shoulder. Will nodded. Nico had a sinking suspicion that he wasn't going to leave camp for a while.

"Okay." Will affirmed. He calmed himself, and took over control. He looked to Kayla. "Where have you looked?"

"All the usual places. Hermes cabin, the arena, the wall, and now the beach." Kayla listed.

Will's eyebrows knit as he thought. He was quiet for moment. Nico could practically see the thoughts running through his mind. Will sighed in frustration as he spoke. "Would anyone else know where he is?"

Kayla shook her head. "You're his best friend."

"What about his mother?" Will asked. "A lot of people have returned home for school or to see family. Could he have left to go home?"

"We hadn't considered that yet." Kayla admitted.

"Campers are supposed to inform me before they leave camp." Chiron sounded incredulous at the fact that campers kept breaking rules.

"Well, maybe it was a family emergency. We can start there." Will instructed. "I'm sure he has his mother's number written down somewhere in his cabin, or on his phone if he left that."

"Okay, let's head over there then." Connor lead the way to the cabins. They arrived at the Hermes cabin. Will walked inside, Nico close behind him. Nico hadn't been inside the cabin since he had been placed there his first couple of months at Camp Half-Blood. It felt like a lifetime ago. It was crowded with rows of bunk beds, but most of them were empty as campers returned home. There were stolen possessions all around the cabin, but Chiron turned a blind eye to these as they all searched the cabin.

Will sat down on Cecil's bunk and started going through his things. His face grew more worried as he continued looking through the stuff. He removed clothes and books from a backpack. He shook his head. "This doesn't make any sense." He gained eye contact with Nico. "All of his stuff is here. If it was a family emergency, he didn't bring anything with him."

"What about his phone?" Nico asked, remaining calm and logical while Will processed what was happening. "Isn't there a way to track it or something?"

"Look at you, all caught up on modern technology." Will sounded impressed. "Not bad for an old man." He laughed nervously. He was in crisis mode, Nico knew, so he was trying to keep the situation light. Otherwise he would panic.

"Will-" Nico said. They were working with a time-sensitive matter.

Will held up a slim phone. "To answer your question, he left his phone here."

Nico sat next to Will as he tried to unlock the screen. He didn't have the password. After a minute of thinking, Will came up with a number. He punched it in. The phone opened. Will began scrolling through Cecil's texts messages. Nothing jumped out to Nico. Will clicked out of that and went to the emails. Nada. Then, he went to the call log.

"There are no text messages in the past week." Will informed. "The only emails were from colleges, and the last call was to his mother, three weeks ago."

"Probably a Christmas call." Connor said absently.

Will pressed the contact labeled Mom. He held it up to his ear. Techology and demigods didn't mix too well as they alerted monsters to their presence, but the Hermes cabin had found a way around it. Almost all the campers had purchased "software" (as they called it) from the Stoll brothers so their phones would not attract monsters. The brothers, however, charged an extraordinary fee.

The phone rang three times, before it disconnected. "What the-" Will started to say, but was interrupted by the phone starting to smoking. "Holy Hades!" He shouted as he dropped the phone. It sparked a couple of times before shorting out. Nico cautiously picked it up from the floor.

"Dead." He declared.

"What in Hades name was that?" Connor asked. He took the phone from Nico and started examining it.

"I have no idea. We can bring it to Nyssa and see if she can figure it out." Nico said.

"Yeah, I want to see what all this is about too." Connor said. He waved the phone in front of Chiron. "Do you have any idea?"

Chiron was looking intently at the phone. "I didn't want to alarm anyone, but the camp has had problems with communications recently. I thought it was just an inconvenience, but it may be worse than that. We can't make or receive phone calls. Iris messages are no good. We've been receiving no new campers or satyrs. We are completely on our own. We can't make contact with Camp Jupiter or Olympus."

"What about Mr. D?" Kayla put her hand on Will's shoulder, trying to comfort him. Will smiled gratefully.

"I've had no contact with him since the trial. He disappeared afterwards and has yet to return." Chiron cast a wary eye on Nico.

The trial was still a touchy subject for the son of Hades. He had been forced to recount his experiences, his weaknesses revealed in front of the entire camp. It felt like Cupid in Croatia all over again. Dionysus had disappeared right after the trial with Aaron. What had he done to Aaron? Did it have something to do with the fact that Dionysus was nowhere to be found?

"Don't think about him." Will whispered softly into his ear, lacing their hands.

"How did you-"

"You always get this faraway, terrified look when you think about him." Will explained. "He's gone. You don't need to worry."

"But what if he isn't gone?" Will looked puzzled at Nico's question.

"Why wouldn't he be? Dionysus exiled him from camp. Why would he still be here?"

Nico was about to open his mouth to answer when someone cleared their throat. He turned slightly and remembered that they had an audience.

"Right." Nico said instead.

"What about you, Nico?" Kayla asked. "Have you had any contact with your father in recent days?"

"Yes, I have, but my father doesn't typically comply with the rules of Olympus." Nico said, matter-of-factly. "If the gods weren't supposed contact their children, my father would most likely ignore it. What about anyone else? Any contact with your parents?"

"No, but he doesn't usually make house calls." Connor answered.

"And Apollo has been missing since the Battle with Gaea." Will pointed out.

"Yeah, we've known about that." Chiron was stroking his beard, thoughtfully.

"Rachel said that the prophecies had stopped coming to her as well. She has had no dreams to give any indication of what is happening." Nico mentioned.

"Something bad is coming; I've had bad omens for weeks." Chiron looked at Nico as he spoke. He shivered. Did Chiron think he was a bad omen?

"I've sensed it as well." Nico admitted. Silence fell over the cabin. Maybe because his father was the god of the Underworld, Nico had more of a propensity to sense destruction coming. That's why Chiron had looked at him, he reassured himself. Unless, he thought he was a bad omen.

Will squeezed his hand again. "Stop that. I can see the bad thoughts running around in your head." He whispered.

Nico opened his mouth and for the second time, was interrupted by Nyssa and Lou Ellen, arriving breathlessly.

"What did you find?" Chiron demanded. Nyssa held up a thick parchment scroll and handed it to Chiron. He unraveled it. A flickering hologram appeared above the surface. It was Leo, complete with his oil-stained shirt and tool belt.

"Hey guys!" Mini-Leo spread his arms out. "Sorry to leave you like that. Calypso and I are both fine. We're taking Festus to-" the image sparked exactly like the phone, but Chiron didn't drop it. "Back as soon as-" another spark. "Cook tacos when-" static. "¡Vaya con queso! Love ya!" The scroll sparked and the image went out.

"That little-" Nico trailed off. "At least we know that he and Calypso are okay."

"But this proves the fact that communications are on the fritz." Chiron added.

"I can go down to the Underworld and see what my father knows?" Nico suggested. He felt Will look at him in alarm, but he didn't look back. Will thought he was leaving. But, Nico couldn't leave when there was a missing demigod. Once he would found, he might head out, but he would not abandon Will to deal with his missing best friend alone.

Chiron considered it. He also took note of Will's reaction to it. "Only if you are willing. We would never force you to."

"It's my home." He realized too late the harsh impact of his words, but he couldn't take it back. "I'm sure my father would assure that no harm came to me. After all, he showed up at Camp Half-Blood to make sure I was okay."

"You will be able to make arrangements for that?" Nico nodded. Chiron turned to the assembled demigods. "In the meantime, we will organize a search party to scour the forest. Use the buddy system. We don't need anyone to play hero, especially if there is an outside force involved."

"Yes sir. I will organize the party." Connor took on the task. He turned to assign the present demigods orders. He gave the phone to Nyssa, who started turning it over in her hands, nodding at Connor's words. She already had the back off the phone by the time everyone had gone off to do their assignments.

Will, Nico, and Chiron were left in the cabin. "When do you plan to depart, Mr. di Angelo?"

"Immediately." Nico answered, standing.

"I would advise that you use the buddy system as well, Mr. di Angelo." Chiron's eyes flickered to Will before he looked back at Nico. "But, I will not tell you how to deal with your father." With that statement, he walked out of the cabin.

The two boys were left in silence. They turned towards each other.

"Nico-" in that one word, Will said so much. 'Don't go', 'Take me with you', 'I can't lose you'.

"We are leaving in five minutes." Nico interrupted. "Meet me by the Big House and we will head down to the Underworld. Unless you want to lead the search for Cecil here."

Will was torn, Nico could see that much. To go to look for his best friend or go with his boyfriend.

"I'd understand if you wanted to stay here." I'd prefer that Nico thought. It wasn't that he didn't want Will with him. It would just be easier to go to see his father by himself. But, he knew that Will would be more reassured if he went with him.

Will was thinking. "I'll come with you. Cecil has enough people looking for him. No one is looking out for you."

"Okay, five minutes then." Nico affirmed.

"Meet you over there." Will replied. Nico walked over out the cabin to pick up some supplies from his own cabin.

When he arrived, he grabbed his sword and his travel backpack which contained a change of clothes, some energy bars, a water bottle, ambrosia, and bandages. He swung this over his shoulder and walked out of his cabin. He closed the door and headed towards the Big House.

Will was waiting for him. He also had a backpack on his shoulder. He had donned a hoodie and a knife sheathed on his waist. He wasn't as skilled with a bow as his siblings were so he tended to stay away from the weapon. Nico was more of the fighter as it was. He smiled lightly as Nico approached. Under the smile, his face was tight with worry.

"Are you ready?" Nico asked.

"Yes," he said, "but, before we jump, when's the last time you've eaten? Did you eat anything this morning? Are you sure you-"

Nico held up a hand to stop his words. "I will leave you here if you keep mothering me."

"But that's my job."

Nico rolled his eyes. "I ate enough last night. I should be fine to shadow travel. I haven't done it in a while."

"You did it like two days ago!" Will protested.

"Do you not think I'm strong enough to do it?"

"No! I'm just telling you to be careful." Will said. Nico was sure he could jump by himself. He hadn't transported another person in a long time, so this would be an interesting trip.

Nico reassured Will as much as he was reassuring himself. "I will be. And I have you there in case something goes wrong. Now, c'mon. We've got things to do."

The two boys grabbed hands. Nico closed his eyes and reached for the shadow casted by the Big House. He pictured his father's palace as they disappeared into the darkness.


	2. Chapter 2: Questions

AN: Not as long as I had hoped, but I wanted to get something on the page for y'all. Let me know what you guys think. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: All rights reserved to Rick Riordan. I own nothing, but the plot.

Themes of self-harm, anxiety, and depression are depicted within this story. TRIGGER WARNING! Please do not read if these themes upset you. TRIGGER WARNING!

Criticism is appreciated, but please no hate. Please review and leave suggestions! Enjoy!

* * *

Nico's POV:

He gasped as he fell onto all fours, arriving in the Underworld. Will tumbled after him and somehow landed in a crouch. He changed courses immediately to be in front of Nico. As Nico was gasping, Will was on his knees in front of him, telling him to breathe.

"I'm- trying-" he wheezed. Will put his hand on his Nico's cheek.

"Steady. I'm right here." After a couple of moments, Nico's lungs didn't feel like they were on fire anymore. He took a composing breath and sat on his butt. "I thought you said you could-"

"I know what I said." Nico snapped. "I'm training and trying, but I don't seem to be getting any stronger. I used to be one of the most powerful demigods in the world. Now, transporting two people makes me hyperventilate. I should be getting stronger."

"Hey, you aren't turning into a shadowy puddle anymore whenever you jump. I consider that an improvement." Will mentioned. "And you have to remember that you went through one of the most difficult experiences of your life, what, six months ago? Seven months ago? Most people don't recover from that. You are already so much better. You just have to give yourself time to heal. You have to have patience."

"Well I'm done having patience." Nico declared, standing up. Will followed suit. "I'm going to become powerful again."

"You already are powerful." Will reminded. "You are the Ghost King. You have legions of the undead following you."

Nico shrugged off his words. "Whatever. My father should be able to help."

"With what? Our mission or restoring your power?"

"Both." Nico ended the conversation. He looked around to gather his bearings. They were in Persephone's garden. Apparently, he had undershot the palace. He started to lead Will in the direction of his father's residence. He ignored the eerie, yet beautiful flowers in the garden.

As he walked up the slight hill, the palace came into sight. His father had finished the wall that he had been building around the perimeter. It seemed to be in good shape. Nico walked down to the palace. He put his hand on the gates. With a groan, the gates swung open. "Home, sweet home."

"What's up with the extra security?" Will asked, noticing the wall and the skeleton guards that had occupied certain intervals around the edge of the palace.

Nico waved his question off. "Rogue spirits were destroying parts of the mansion while my father wasn't here. They were upset that we closed the Doors of Death so they couldn't escape anymore blah blah."

The two boys opened the double doors that led into the entrance hall. It was empty.

"I'm surprised; where is the zombie butler?" Will joked.

"Don't be ridiculous. It's a Monday. He doesn't work on Mondays." Will opened his mouth to reply, but shut it again. Nico smirked. "I'm only joking. He's not a zombie; he's a skeleton."

Nico continued walking deeper into the hallways, a thoroughly confused Will trailing after him. He headed straight towards the throne room. The door was cracked open. There were voices issuing out of it.

"I told you it would happen again!" A female voice was shrill. Persephone. "They let you back on the Council and now they've cut off communications again. I told you-"

"If you say I told you so one more time, Persephone, I will curse you into oblivion." Nico's fathers voice sounded annoyed.

"That's no way to speak to your wife. And last time you did that, it took three months for me to reform!"

"Three months of silence, yes." Hades shot back.

"I will leave." She threatened.

"You can't and you know you can't." Hades said. "Especially with Olympus freezing us out again. Who will you go to? Your mother has not contacted you since the Solstice. And she usually hides out down here when something is amiss."

"I'll find... I'll find a mortal then. I'll demand that a demigod help me."

"You personally have sworn off relationships with mortals. And you don't like demigods that much either." Hades reasoned. "Speaking of which, we have two listening at the door."

Before Nico could say anything, the throne room doors swung open.

"Nico," Persephone said in a false, cheery tone.

"Stepmother," Nico mimicked.

"My son, this is a surprise. I thought you would alert me when you decided when to move down here."

"He's moving down here?" Persephone sounded shocked. Apparently his father had not told his wife about their plan.

Hades ignored her. His eyes searched over Will. "Although, your dalliance was not invited to live down here with us."

"Sir, father, we come down here because we need your guidance." Nico stepped into the room. After a beat, Will followed.

"Yes, about the missing camper, correct?"

"How-how'd you know about that?" Will asked. "We don't have any communications out-"

Hades waved his question away. "I'm a god. I know everything."

"Then how did you not know we were coming?" Nico questioned.

"Okay, fine. Hermes put an ad in _Olympus Times."_ Hades snapped his fingers and a newspaper appeared in his lap. He unfolded it and began reading. "'Cecil Markowitz... missing from Camp Half-Blood... any information, please contact concerned father, Hermes.'"

"The gods don't typically intervene when their children go missing." Nico interjected. "At least not anyone I know. Poseidon didn't put up flyers when Percy went missing. You weren't too concerned when I ventured on my many adventures."

Hades sat back in his throne. "There are a couple of reasons. One, the gods don't want to admit it, but we are struggling with communications as well. Our vision is clouded. We cannot see what's coming. Whenever you went missing, I always knew where you were. Hermes has no idea where his son is. Two, Olympus needs another thing to blame Apollo for, so Hermes provided-"

"Hades!" Persephone snapped

Hades stopped. "Oh right, I'm not supposed to tell you that."

"Tell me what?" Nico demanded.

"Nothing, nothing forget I said anything."

"No." Will stepped forward. Nico watched him in shock as he stood up to the god of the Underworld. "You were talking about my father. Is he okay? What happened to him? What does he have to do with Cecil's disappearance?"

"I'm not at liberty to discuss. The Council wants it to remain confidential-"

"The Council?" Nico repeated. "Since when have you ever cared about what they think?"

"Since they threatened to remove him off the Council if he discussed it with anyone besides me." Persephone defended. "They wanted to bring Hades to Olympus, but he wanted to stay down here. They made him swear on the River Styx not to discuss said confidential matter."

"What about you?" Nico looked to his stepmother. "Did they hold you to such an oath?"

Persephone turned red as she spluttered. "I-no- I- I will not tell you! I will not compromise your father's oath."

"We just want to help. We want to find Cecil." Will protested.

"Look, there's nothing I can do, and nothing you guys can do either. Everything should become pretty clear in a couple of weeks. But, until then, I cannot help you." Hades apologized.

"Is there anything you can tell us?" Nico asked hopeful.

"There isn't much. After I made my oath, Zeus called all the gods to Olympus. He cut off the little communications we did have and forbid any god from leaving Olympus. He closed it off." Hades explained.

"But why?"

"Because of what's coming." Hades ominously revealed.

"Which you can't tell us." Nico summarized. "But it has to do with Apollo and Cecil."

"How does Cecil's disappearance have anything to do with my father?" Will repeated his earlier question.

"I've told you everything I could." Hades said. "I'm sorry. I have a duty to uphold, a throne and family to protect."

Nico groaned. If he had sworn on the Styx, there was nothing his father could tell him. He sighed. "I understand, but if there is anything else you can think of, please don't hesitate to contact me."

"Are you leaving?" Hades looked surprised.

Nico nodded. "Yeah, Will and I have to get back to camp."

"You're probably exhausted, why don't you two stay for a while?" Nico looked at his father, confused.

"Dad, you are being hospitable. Are you okay?"

Hades laughed. "Is it wrong that I want to spend time with my son and his lover?"

Nico winced. "No one uses lover anymore, father. And parents don't typically wanna spend time with their kid's significant other."

"Actually, I think it would be a good idea." Will murmured to Nico. Nico looked around at him. Will got defensive. "You collapsed as soon as you got here. I have a feeling that you are more exhausted than you are letting on."

"See? Even William agrees with me!"

"As your doctor," Nico rolled his eyes at Will's words. "I would recommend taking a break before jumping again."

"How long of a break, Will?"

"Overnight, at least." Will suggested.

"Perfect!" Hades clapped his hands together.

"You weren't too keen on him when you thought he was staying here." Nico pointed out. "Why are you okay with it now?"

"I've never properly met Mr. Solace. Maybe it's time I did." Hades replied.

Nico looked at his father in shock. What had happened to him? "You are hurting my head. Are you sure you're okay father?"

"Yes, yes. You can get some rest and then we can spend some quality time with each other later." Hades advised.

Nico shook himself. Why was his father acting like this? One part of him wanted to keep talking to his father and find out what was going on. The other part was feeling quite tired after that jump. His tiredness won over. "Okay. We will see you guys later, I guess."

Nico turned to leave the throne room, Will following silently. The door closed with a deafening thud.


	3. Chapter 3: Normal

AN: I have returned. I took the week off from writing so I could reread the Harry Potter series. 7 books and 8 movies in 9 days. It was a workout. And then I got sick. But, at about 2 in the morning I came up with this chapter, so I hope you enjoy!

Disclaimer: All rights reserved to Rick Riordan. I own nothing, but the plot.

Themes of self-harm, anxiety, and depression are depicted within this story. TRIGGER WARNING! Please do not read if these themes upset you. TRIGGER WARNING!

Criticism is appreciated, but please no hate. Please review and leave suggestions! Enjoy!

* * *

Will's POV

Will followed Nico through the twisting halls of the palace. "Where are we going?"

"My room."

The statement caught Will by surprise. "Your room?"

Nico grinned back at him. "Yeah. It's my father's palace. Of course I have a room."

"I just didn't think you ever actually lived down here." Will mentioned.

"Not for an extended time period, no. But, when I left Camp for the first time, I traveled around a lot. I ended up in my father's palace more than once. He set aside a room for me. I made it my own."

The two boys arrived at another set of double doors. There was a skeleton in a gray chauffeur's uniform in front of it.

"Will, this is Jules-Albert." Nico indicated towards the skeleton. "One of my father's gifts to me. My personal chauffeur."

"Yeah, I remember you mentioning him." Will recalled. "And he broke into camp when you went on your escapade with Piper."

Nico nodded to Jules-Albert as he walked past him into his room. He pushed open the doors and gestured around, dramatically. "Welcome to Casa di Angelo."

Will looked around the room. It was Nico's alright. The walls were, shockingly, black. But, they were covered with posters of different bands and skeletons. There was a Led Zeppelin and Ramones poster as well as a Guns and Roses sign. Below the posters, there was a huge four poster bed, with black curtains surrounding it. Also in the room, was a desk with computers and controllers. Will looked questioningly at the desk and back to Nico.

Nico shrugged. "My father thinks I'm into gaming, but I'm still learning about computers and video games. I prefer sticking to Mythomagic."

Speaking of the game, above the bedside tables, there were shelves lined with the Mythomagic figurines and cards.

"But don't you have a collection at camp?" Will said in awe.

"It's like I said, I prefer Mythomagic." Nico joked. He slid his shoes off as well as his jacket and collapsed on his bed. Will sat down next to him.

"You feel okay?"

Nico rolled his eyes. "Yes. I'm just exhausted and lazy like any other normal teenaged kid."

"You are nothing like any normal teenager," Will pointed out. He pointed to the computer. "For starters, most teenagers would have to be dragged away from their computer screens. You barely know how it works."

"That's not true!" Nico defended.

"Oh yeah, what's a modem?" His question was met with silence. "What's the difference between an Xbox and a Wii?" Silence again. "Not a normal teenager."

"Oh, c'mon, half of the camp doesn't know what those things are!" Nico sat up on his elbows. He brought his feet up to lay flat on the bed. "Technology and demigods typically tend to go haywire."

"I didn't say demigods were normal teenagers. You are a demigod so by default, you are not normal. Barring all the other evidence."

Nico flopped back on the bed. "I apologize for my un-normalness. If you don't like it, you can leave."

"Did those words every leave my mouth?" Nico didn't answer. Will smirked as he leaned over his boyfriend. Nico crossed his arms over his chest, but sneaked a glance at Will. "I am perfectly content with the fact that you are far from normal. It wouldn't be you if you were normal."

Nico pecked Will on the cheek. "You aren't very normal either. Even by demigod standards."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Will pretended to be hurt as he leaned against Nico's knees.

"You loveeee to sing all the campfire songs."

"So does half the camp!" Will said indignantly. "And my entire cabin."

"Then your whole cabin is full of nuts." Nico joked.

Will elbowed his knees. "What else, Mr. I'm-More-Normal-Than-You?"

"Well, you prefer to play medic rather than run into a fight."

Will shrugged. "My talents are more useful in the hospital, not on the battlefield. That's what I have you for."

"Oh, please," Nico said. "I haven't done much on the battlefield recently."

"We haven't had that many battles."

Nico winced uncomfortably. Will lessened his weight on the boy underneath him. "No, it's not you. There- Chiron's right; there's something coming. I can feel it."

"What does it feel like?" Will said quietly, leaning closer to Nico.

"It's hard to explain. It's just a feeling. A dark omen. The last time I felt like this-" he trailed off as he looked into the distance, lost in thoughts. His eyes searched as if trying to explain what he was feeling. Black met blue again. "It feels like when Percy went missing. With the Seven's Prophecy. Except instead of Percy it's-"

"-Cecil." Will finished. He knew that Nico was more in tune with understanding prophecies, having almost been a part of one and playing a major role in a second one, so he was interested to hear his thoughts about them. "Do you think it's another prophecy?"

"I can't say for certain; I don't know. Rachel hasn't seen anything so I don't think we will get much information from her." Nico reasoned.

"What do you think is going to happen?" Will was whispering now. He felt like what they were discussing was private; like he didn't want anyone to overhear. "Is it the Titans again? Or Gaea?"

Nico's eyebrows knitted as he thought. "I don't believe so. We defeated her and the Titans so recently."

"But, the two prophecies happened in such quick succession." Will added.

"I know. I just- I don't know- there is a plot or an idea that runs deeper than any of us know-" Nico started staring off into the distance again. "I can't explain it."

"How- how are you so good at feeling these things?" Will wondered aloud.

Nico shook his head. "I mean I'm a child of death; I can sense when death and destruction is imminent."

"But it's more than that," Will pushed.

Nico became quiet, thinking, considering. He sat up, wrapping his arms lightly around his knees. "When I was taken prisoner by Gaea-" Will straightened, listening attentively. Nico so rarely talked about Tartarus or Gaea. "- I heard a lot of things about the interpretation of prophecies. I know a lot about prophecies and manipulating to make them come true usually ends up making them worse. A prophecy predicted my sister's death. A prophecy caused my mother's death. Maybe I'm just good at sensing the trouble that prophecies bring."

Nico blinked in shock at what he had said. He so rarely freely spoke about his experiences. Will usually had to drag it out of him. "I- I don't know why I-"

Will smiled gently. "You don't have to explain."

Nico looked fearful. "I- I travelled around a lot. I've picked up on a lot of things. I've researched old prophecies and-"

Will put a finger on Nico's lips. "Nico, it's okay. Really."

"I'm sorry," Nico apologized.

"What are you apologizing for?" Will asked.

"For bringing up sad stuff and my family. You asked a question and I brought emotions into it-"

"Nico," Will interrupted. "You are allowed to feel things. You can talk about whatever you need to whenever. You do not have to explain yourself."

Nico was adamant. "But, this isn't about me. This is about you helping your best friend-"

"And right now, you need me," Will murmured. "Everything is okay."

"No," Nico made his way towards the edge of the bed. "We need to take action; we've already spent enough time here. We need to look for Cecil-"

Will grabbed Nico's wrist as he started walking towards the door. "Nico, stop-"

"No!" Nico threw Will's hand off. "I'm not letting another person go missing! Last time that happened-"

Will stood quickly and wrapped his arms around Nico. Nico fought the hug at first, but eventually relaxed into it. It took a second to realize that Nico was speaking into his shirt.

"-last time that happened, Percy eventually ended up in Tartarus. Because of me-" his voice cracked.

"That wasn't your fault; that wasn't anyone's fault." Will soothed. "And they are okay now."

"No, they're not," Nico mumbled. He pulled back from Will's embrace, but Will's arms stayed loosely around him. "Don't you see? Don't you see the cracks on their surface? The bags under their eyes? The sadness behind their words? The nightmares that plague them? Tartarus will always be there for them. Just like it will always be there for me."

"It doesn't have to-"

Nico pulled away. "You don't get it. Tartarus doesn't go away. It's always there. It's woven into my soul, into my fabrics. It is as much a part of me as my hair color is or my skin tone." He took a deep breath. "And because of me, it's part of them too."

"Nico," Will pleaded. Nico blinked again.

"I'm sorry. Please, just forget I said anything," Nico dismissed, walking over to his desk, shuffling some papers.

Will walked over to him, standing just behind him. "You can't just dismiss these things. Talking about them is good-"

"I can't?" Nico asked. He turned to face Will. "Watch me."

"Nico, c'mon, I'm just trying to help."

Nico breathed deeply in. Will thought he was in for it and was about to get screamed at. But, Nico just blew the air out again. "You're right, I apologize."

A pause.

Nico laughed bitterly. "Look at what a mess I am. Joking about being normal one second, bawling about Tartarus the next."

Will smiled reassuringly. "That's no problem to me. But, you just can't shut down. You can't just shut it out. I'm just trying to help." He out his hand on Nico's cheek.

Nico smiled and took Will's hand, slowly lowering it into both his hands. "I know. I just don't know why I get so worked up so quickly."

"8 months, Nico," Will reminded. "It's only been 8 months. You are still recovering and that's fine."

"I know," Nico's eyes met Will's. "I'm stable now. I'm okay." He broke off eye contact and started rummaging around the room again. "But, I was right before. We've got a mission to do. We've overstayed our welcome and we got to find Cecil."

"I agree that it's imperative that we find Cecil, but I believe, right now, your health is more important." Will pointed out, following Nico across the room again. He put his hands on Nico's shoulders and slowly started kneading into them.

"But, Cecil-" Nico lightly protested.

"At this rate, I'd think you were in love with him, not me." Will calmly teased. Will was putting up a facade. He was worried about Cecil and wanted to get back to Camp. But, if he let his worry show, that would push Nico to travel when he needed to regain strength before jumping again. So, until then, they were stuck here.

"That's not true," Nico said as Will lead him back over to the bed.

"Good. Besides, the entire Camp is looking for him." Will was reassuring Nico as much as himself. "Us two would probably just get in their way. Anyway, you need to sleep and you are not jumping until you've gotten some energy back. So, we will wait it out here."

Will sat back on the bed, leaning against the headboard. Nico sat, lying back on him, in between his legs. "I- guess that's fine." Will was succeeding in distracting Nico with the shoulder massage.

"And, who knows, maybe your father's hospitality will extend into giving us more information." Will pointed out, but Nico was too content to care. He let Will work his magic with his hands. Apparently Nico was more tired than he thought because he was falling asleep quite quickly at Will's ministrations. And although Will had healing powers, he lacked the ability to make people fall asleep. Faster than he could believe, Nico was curled up on Will's chest, dead to the world.


	4. Chapter 4: Dining with Death

Disclaimer: All rights reserved to Rick Riordan. I own nothing, but the plot.

Themes of self-harm, anxiety, and depression are depicted within this story. TRIGGER WARNING! Please do not read if these themes upset you. TRIGGER WARNING!

Criticism is appreciated, but please no hate. Please review and leave suggestions! Enjoy!

* * *

Will's POV

He lightly played with Nico's hair, not really paying attention to the show he was watching on the tv across the room. After Nico had fallen asleep, he had found a remote in reach and started watching random tv shows. It was a mindless activity, but it distracted him from the turmoil his mind was in.

Nico slept for a couple of hours. Will felt exhausted as well, but he couldn't get his mind to relax enough to sleep. He was concerned about Cecil. He was also plagued with the constant worry about Nico and his mental state and where he would run off to next. And he didn't even want to think about school or his mother moving to New York. He just wanted to forget everything. But, the Fates were not in his favor.

Nico's door opened. Hades popped his head in the room. He looked like a normal dad, checking on his son, rather than a god of cosmic power. "Is he still asleep?"

Will nodded.

Hades slowly backed out of the room. "I'll come back later."

Will looked at his phone to see what time it was. 4 o'clock. Nico had slept through lunch. Will had eaten breakfast and when he was getting hungry, he had eaten the protein bar he had stored in his bag. He was still hungry, but he could hold out until dinner.

It was 7 o'clock when Nico finally started to wake. He nuzzled into Will's chest, causing the latter to look down at his boyfriend. Nico's eyes blinked open. He searched around for a bit before his eyes flicked up. Traces of a smile appeared as Nico rolled over and off Will's chest.

"Good morning," Will murmured, brushing the hair out of Nico's face.

"Did I sleep on you this whole time?" Nico asked, eyes bleary.

"I didn't mind. No nightmares?"

Nico shook his head as he sat up. "Did you sleep?"

"I wasn't tired. I just watched some shows." Nico's eyes fluttered to the tv as Will answered. He smirked.

"Catching up on _Grey's Anatomy_?" 

Will shrugged. "It's a good show. How did you know about it? You didn't even know what Star Wars was until I told you."

"It's a really popular hospital drama. I've seen billboards and ads for it the few times I have watched tv." Nico replied.

He yawned, stretching out his arms. Will moved as well, his body stiff from being in the same position for too long. He cracked his neck and swung his legs over the side of the bed, standing up. Nico watched him, still sprawling across the bed.

"I don't know about you, but I am starving." Nico informed.

As he spoke, the doors swung open. "Then it is a good thing I came in to bring you to dinner!"

Nico looked suspiciously at his father. "That was oddly perfect timing. Have you been listening at the door?"

"I haven't. Jules-Albert on the other hand is quite a gossip," Hades informed. Neither Nico nor Will laughed. "Alright, I told Jules-Albert to tell me when you woke up. We've been waiting for you to awaken for hours."

Nico scowled as he got up from the bed. "You could have woken me."

Hades looked pointedly at Will. "I don't think your doctor would have let me do that." He clapped his hands. "At any rate, I expect you in the dining room in five minutes time. Even gods get impatient. And I'm curious to learn more about you, son of Apollo."

"We will be out soon, Lord Hades." Will inclined his head towards the god of the Underworld.

Hades took his leave and shut the doors after himself. Will and Nico didn't move for a moment. Then, Will grabbed his bag and headed for the bathroom.

"What are you doing?" Nico asked.

Will held up his bag. "I'm about to have dinner with two gods; I'm going to dress up."

Nico rolled his eyes. "You really don't have to do that. He's my dad; he's not that intimidating."

"Did he not, on multiple occasions, threaten you? Didn't he deceive you when you brought Percy down here?" Will opened his bag and started pulling clothes out. He put these on the counter.

Nico shrugged. "He's lightened up a lot since then."

"Still, I don't want to make a bad impression on him." Will explained as he pulled his shirt off.

"With a body like that, I don't think you can."

"Well, sadly, your dad is not going to be seeing my body." Will stopped after he said this. He looked in shock at Nico. "Hang on, are you _hitting_ on me?"

"What? I thought it was a nice compliment."

"You don't do that though. You hate compliments. Anyway, your job is to pretend like you hate me." Will pulled off his shorts and pulled on a pair of black slacks.

"That's right, I forgot, I'm sorry. You look like crap." Nico said sarcastically. "How did you know to pack nice clothes?"

"Maybe I just always have a pair of nice clothes in case I have impromptu dinners with the gods." Will answered. He pulled a belt through his pants after tucking his white shirt in.

Nico rolled his eyes. "I don't think I've ever seen you in anything except a t-shirt or scrubs."

He started combing his hair. "Like what you see?"

"I might, but I'm not supposed to compliment, so I guess I will have to say no."

Will put his comb down. He pecked Nico on the cheek. "There's my Death Boy."

Nico shoved Will away. "Don't call me that. Now c'mon, we gotta go to dinner."

"Aren't you going to change?" Will asked.

Nico hit his forehead. "Right! I forgot! I have to dress up for dinner in my own home." He quickly pulled off his black t-shirt and pulled onto another black t-shirt. He clapped his hand onto Will's shoulder. "Thanks for reminding me. I almost embarrassed myself."

"You are being a brat. Let's go." Will pushed open Nico's double doors.

Jules-Albert was outside, waiting to lead them to dinner. He bowed to them and started walking. Will looked at Nico, but followed without complaint. He looked around at the palace walls, but there wasn't much in the department of interior design. The walls were black, complimented by the black and dark red marble floors. Eerie red candlestick were held in palace by candleholders on the wall every few feet, providing light in the dim hallway. The wax dripping from them looked like blood. There were spiderwebs dangling from them. Will felt a shiver go down his spine and focused on the path in front of him. He looked to the back of Jules-Albert's skull.

His chauffeur hat was torn in places, the original black fading to grey. Will looked more closely and noticed a worm rooting around in his hat. He grimaced and looked at Nico. Nico was looking back at him.

"So, I take it you don't approve of my father's palace?"

Will smiled sheepishly. "I mean, it's kinda creepy. The candles and spiderwebs. It's like something out of a horror movie."

"It's my dad likes the creep factor. It's his most redeeming quality." Nico informed. "Usually it's not this... messy. My father is still hiring his cleaning crew. After we lost Bob-" Nico trailed off, as he usually did when remembering something sad. "Anyway, the hallways and ballrooms aren't usually this bad. The torture room and dungeons on the other hand..."

The breath was sucked out of Will. "Torture room?"

Nico winked at Will, so Will didn't know if he was kidding or not. They had arrived at the dining room doors. Jules-Albert pushed open the doors. A large, black marble dining table was revealed. The table was laden with plates and silverware, but lacked food. There were stacks of ambrosia and goblets of nectar, but Will and Nico would not be able to touch these, for fear of spontaneously combusting. He might have to request a doggy-bag of the ambrosia to replenish this supplies at Camp.

At either end of the table, Hades and Persephone lounged in their respective chairs. Chairs was a humbling term. The chairs were more like smaller scales of the thrones that resided in the throne room. Two smaller chairs were on the two other sides, facing each other. For Will and Nico.

Straight across from the entrance, a green fire burned in the fireplace, bathing the room in light. Greek fire. Deadly, but apparently used to warm godly palaces! The green from the fire created shifting shadows and did not give either of the gods sitting a very healthy complexion.

Hades looked up as the two boys entered. He stood, spreading his arms wide. "Welcome, demigods."

Will inclined his head respectfully.

Nico pointed a finger gun. "Sup?"

"At least one of them has nice manners," Persephone sniffed disdainfully. "And he can clean up nicely as well."

"Thank you," Will replied, looking out of the corner of his eye to see Nico's reaction. He looked as if he had swallowed something sour. At that moment, Will's stomach decided to rumble.

"And where are your manners, Nicolas, making your guest wait for dinner? We personally have been waiting for hours, but how rude to treat your guest like this." Persephone admonished.

"My name is Nico, not Nicolas and it has never been Nicolas." Nico said through gritted teeth. "You could have eaten without us, no one was stopping you."

"Enough, both of you," Hades warned. "I will not tolerate this bickering in my palace. Nico, learn to respect your stepmother-"

"Respect is earned-"

Hades ignored Nico's intrusion. "-Persephone, don't blame the boy for my mistakes."

"Glad to know my mother was a mistake," Nico said sarcastically. "Why don't we summoned her from the Underworld and get the whole happy family together!"

Hades' eyes flashed as he glared at his son. Nico stared back for a moment. The two fought a silent battle before Nico broke the eye contact off.

"Now, if all the fighting is done, please, join us for dinner." Hades requested. Nico and Persephone shared one last death glare before Nico grudgingly sat. Will took his seat as well. "Thank you, now we can begin."

Will looked down at his plates. He assumed it was similar to Camp Half-Blood. He thought about what he wanted. Grilled chicken and asparagus appeared on his plate. He glanced up at Nico. He was already digging into some sort of pasta. Will took that as a cue to begin eating.

He made it about halfway through before he realized that the two gods at the end were not eating, but merely observing Nico and Will. Will couldn't figure out why. Maybe they had already eaten. Or maybe they relied on sacrifices from Camp Half-Blood and Jupiter. Will put his utensils down for a moment.

Hades considered Will. "Well, Mr. Solace, you have been a guest in my residence before, when I requested your presence last December-"

"You've been a few times, William," Persephone interrupted. "What do you think of the palace? The decor? The amenities?"

"I- I think that it's really nice-" Will stammered out, the question catching him off guard. And to think he had been complaining to Will about the creep factor ten minutes ago.

"See? Even he thinks that the palace is a mess!" Persephone's eyes were flashing at Hades. "I have told you that it is time to hire a new cleaning crew!"

"There hasn't been time," Hades excused.

"These past couple of weeks, we've had nothing of time with the disappearance-"

"Alright, alright!" Hades closed his eyes, pausing for a beat, admitting defeat to his wife. "We can talk about this when we do not have guests." He turned his attention back to Will. "Now, as I was saying. I've met you a fair few times, but I don't know much about you. The only thing I really know about you is your devotion to my son-"

"Father, what's your angle here?" Nico asked, mouth bursting. Will gave him a look and he swallowed before continuing, waving his fork in the direction of his father. "You don't actually care about our mortal lives, do you?"

Hades looked up to the heavens. "Why does everything I do in this palace get questioned?"

"It's okay, Lord Hades." Will interceded before another fight broke out. "I am in my junior year of high school. I've started my college search, but it just depends on what life at Camp looks like the next couple of years. If I did attend college, I would want to pursue something in medicine."

"-your skills as a demigod would greatly benefit that career path." Hades nodded approvingly.

"Yes, I do use a lot of magic and powers lended by my father with my healing, but I would also like to be experienced in the mortal approach to medicine. The basis of surgery and all that kind of stuff." Will explained. He was on the fence about college. His mother didn't make enough money to support any medical school he would want to go to.

"What about outside of school?" Hades asked. "How is your family?"

"My mother, she lived in Florida, but recently moved up to New York so I could be closer to Camp. She left college early to pursue a music career, but once that was over, she returned to college and became a nurse."

Will didn't usually bring up his mom too often. He loved his mother, but she was very difficult to handle sometimes. She was an alcoholic when he was younger, and although she was sober now, Will still found traces of alcohol around the house when he returned.

Hades stared at him intently as he thought about his mother. Will had a sinking suspicion that Hades had been able to read all that information. But, Hades didn't say anything about it. "And what other interests do you have?"

"I like musical theatre, even though I'm a lousy singer. Also, I helped my mother tend to her garden when we lived in Florida."

Persephone spoke out. "Now that is a hobby that I support. Do you know much about gardening?"

Will felt himself get nervous. This was the goddess of springtime. He didn't want to embarrass himself. "A- a fair amount, but I usually just watched and pulled weeds when needed."

"You can take him on a tour of your gardens, Persephone, when he had finished dinner." Hades turned to Nico as he spoke. "Nico and I are going to have a little chat in the time being."

Nico shifted uncomfortably in his seat. His eyes found Will's. Will tried to send him a reassuring smile back, but he didn't know of the message came across. He realized Persephone was talking.

"-yes, my mother got me started on gardening, but it is truly my passion! I absolutely love it."

"Yes, I would love to see your garden, your Ladyship." Persephone beamed.


	5. Chapter 5: Strolling with Death

AN: This chapter is a little shorter, but it is a prelude to the next chapter, which will be action-packed and filled with angst. And I have already started the next chapter, so you won't have to wait too long. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: All rights reserved to Rick Riordan. I own nothing, but the plot.

Themes of self-harm, anxiety, and depression are depicted within this story. TRIGGER WARNING! Please do not read if these themes upset you. TRIGGER WARNING!

Criticism is appreciated, but please no hate. Please review and leave suggestions! Enjoy!

* * *

Nico's POV

He stood to follow his father out of the dining hall. He nodded to Will as he pushed in his chair. He made his way through the dining room doors. His father held a steady pace, not waiting for Nico to catch up. He walked through the hallways, into the foyer, and out the door. Nico caught up with him, walking across the dead Underworld lawns.

They continued walking in silence for about a hour before his father finally spoke up. "You should be nicer to Persephone."

So that's what this was about. "She should be nicer to me. She's lived longer; she should have more maturity."

"It's not about maturity-"

"Yes it is! She treats me like I'm the worst thing to ever happen to the world." Nico said indignantly.

"She doesn't really think that. She just thinks you're stuck up and stubborn."

Nico laughed bitterly, kicking at the ground as they walked. "That's not much better. Why does she think that? Why does she dislike me so much?"

"She resents you. She resents me because of my relationship with Maria-"

"All gods cheat on their godly partners. If they didn't, we wouldn't have demigods." Nico replied.

"She's jealous of you." Hades revealed.

That stopped Nico. "Jealous?"

Hades continued walking, forcing Nico to follow to hear what he was saying. "Yes, she's jealous of you."

"Of what? My vacation to Tartarus? Or the one to the Lotus Hotel and Casino?"

"She's an Ancient Greek god; she's had her own share of miseries, Nico, you have to remember that." Hades reprimanded.

"So now you are telling me all about how people have it worst than me-"

"You are so stubborn!" Hades said forcefully, shutting Nico up. "Listen, for once in your life, child." Hades took a composing breath, quelling his anger. "Persephone is jealous of you. She's jealous of us."

"Us? What about us? We aren't father-son of the year. We don't send each other snail mail-"

Hades interrupted. "She's wants that kind of relationship with a child. She doesn't believe in dalliances with mortals, even though I have assured her that I would not mind. That's why she resents you, and your mother."

"But she's a goddess." Nico exclaimed. "What does she have to resent?"

"Maria-" his father had a wistful look in his eyes as he walked, arms crossed behind his back. "Maria was a very special mortal. She understood me in a way that very few people ever have. She was so enticing and so beautiful. I saw her in Bianca- I loved her unlike any other mortal I've ever fallen for her. And Persephone knew that. She was jealous that I had that connection with Maria. A connection that I didn't have with her.

"When Maria was- was killed and you and Bianca were both out of the picture, hidden in the hotel, her anger subsided and she was happy. Once you came back into our lives, she was reminded of Maria and the terrible memories she had associated with her. Even you are so much like your mother. Maria was always disdainful towards Persephone as well. When you displayed that attitude, she wrote you off as being your mother's son. If you want her to treat you differently, you have to respect her."

"But doesn't she hate me?" Nico asked, not expecting his father to share so much.

"No, she doesn't. She does care about your wellbeing, because of how close you and I are. But, she does not treat you nicely because of Maria and because you do not treat her nicely." Hades explained.

Nico nodded, mulling over his father's words. It would explain Persephone's animosity towards him. "I suppose I could make an effort to be nicer to her."

"I expect you will do so, Nico. Especially if you plan on living in the Underworld with us. Are you ever going to say yes to my offer?" Hades looked over Nico.

"I'm going to wait until this all blows over with Cecil going missing and Apollo's disappearance from Olympus-" Nico explained.

"That could take a long time, Nico." Hades warned.

"I know, but I can't leave Will. Not now."

"If you really care for him this much, why leave him in the first place?" Hades questioned.

Nico considered his father's question as they continued their stroll through the Underworld. Should he be honest? Should he actually confide in his father? Hades had just revealed his own secrets, regarding his mother, a topic his father usually didn't like to talk about. He decided to be honest.

"Because I can't heal. I am unable to get over my problems and my fear with him. I wish I could, but I don't think I can. I want to be a good boyfriend towards him and support him as much as he has supported me, but I don't think I can do that when he spends half his time comforting me and healing me and helping me." Nico confessed. "Don't get me wrong; he does an excellent job at it. But I am too dependent on him. Anytime I have a problem, I expect him to be there to break my fall. But, he isn't always going to be there. I need to be able to rely on myself for a change."

"You've relied on yourself for many years. You've been alone for so long." His father pointed out.

"Yes, I was independent and I was strong, but I'm not strong anymore." Nico ran his hand through his hair. "I'm not half the demigod I used to be."

"You've been through a lot."

"And it should have made me stronger, not weakened me." Nico said bitterly. "I didn't recover from my experiences before I started dating Will, so I don't really know who I am, with those experiences, without Will. I just need to figure out who I am before I think I can come back and be with him."

"I understand that decision, but you cannot put off leaving forever. It will make it that much harder to heal and to leave when this crisis clears up." His father advised.

"I know that."

"Do you even want to be with William, considering how different you both seem to be?"

"I love Will, I do. He's an amazing boyfriend and so good at supporting me. I don't want to end our relationship. But, at the same time, he doesn't understand the challenges I've had to deal with. Of course he has dealt with his own hardships, but I cannot talk to someone about something they cannot understand. I don't want to discuss what's happened to me with him, because I don't want his opinion to change of me. I don't want him to judge me for my mistakes and the immoral decisions I have made over my life."

"I can help you through all of this." His father assured. "I want you to be happy and I will do whatever I can to help you achieve that. Whether that be with Will or not. I can help you. After all, I've lived for centuries. I have a little experience."

"It's different for you though," Nico pointed out. "You accustomed to the kind of horrors that I can barely begin to fathom."

"I know, but I understand what you've seen, and even though I might not be able to relate as well, I can be someone for you to talk to."

"I wonder if there is a 'Demigod Group Counseling Session'," Nico joked. "'We discuss killing innocents, strolling through hell, and dealing with inescapable grief!'"

His father didn't laugh. "I'm being serious, Nico."

Nico looked down at his feet. "I know, and I appreciate your offer. I just am not very comfortable talking about my experiences. The memories- let's just say, I wish that I didn't have them."

"I know most of what you've gone through as I tried to keep an eye on you over the past couple of years, but it will benefit you to talk about them."

"That's what most people say, but it still hurts a lot to talk about." Nico admitted.

Hades put his hand on Nico's shoulder. "That's the hard thing about life. The bad comes before the good can make an appearance."

Nico grew quiet. His father did as well. They continued walking, not paying attention to where they were going.

The silence was broke by the arrival of Persephone and Will. "Nico!"

Nico turned his head and watched Will approach. He looked okay, reassuring Nico that Persephone didn't curse him or anything of the sort. He arrived at Nico's side.

"Hey, what's-" Will started, but Nico interrupted.

"Persephone."

The goddess turned from greeting her husband to face him. "Boy."

"I'm sorry." The statement caused an intake of breath by Will.

"For what?" The usually composed goddess sounded shocked.

"I'm sorry for how I have treated you these past couple of years." Nico apologized. " I- I just treated you with disrespect and thought I knew who you were, without actually trying to get to know you. I assumed you were this evil stepmother and never gave you the benefit of the doubt. You acted like I was this spoiled, bratty kid, and I lived up to your expectations by behaving like one and for that I am truly sorry. I hope that we can maybe start over."

He extended his hand. Persephone eyed it warily. "This isn't one of your tricks?"

Nico shook his head. "I just want a new start. Especially if I ever move down here." Will moved uncomfortably at his words, but Nico kept eye contact with Persephone.

She gave him one last look over before taking his hand. "I will play nice. As long as you do."

Nico gave her one handshake before releasing. "You have my word."

Persephone inclined her head at him, looking at him a little differently than before. She turned back to her husband, discussing something with him quietly.

"I didn't know you were that good at apologies." Will mused.

Nico shrugged. "My father explained the reasoning for why she showed me so much animosity and I understand her a little better now. Her hate makes more sense. So I wanted to turn over a new leaf."

Will smiled knowingly. "So, your father made you apologize."

"No-yes- okay, maybe. He told me I should be nicer. But those words were mine. That apology was from the heart."

Will clasped his hands together. "How- sentimental."

Nico playfully punched him in the arm. "Oh, shut up."

"It's just always heart-warming to see your soft-side coming out."

Nico ignored the obvious jab, trying to get him to rise. "What did you guys do? We left the palace about two hours ago."

"I finished eating and then we toured the gardens, which were quite beautiful. Currently, we are on a tour of the grounds of the Underworld. Not as beautiful, I have to say. All the- souls just walking around. And when they walk through you-" he shuddered.

Nico chuckled. "I'm sure you didn't see the Fields of Punishment. She hates going there. It's the most terrifying part of the Underworld; I even avoid it. Although, my father has a balcony overlooking it."

"Which I have asked him many times to get rid of," Persephone interjected, listening into their conversation.

"I will not change the architecture of my palace just because you don't like the view." Hades asserted.

Persephone rolled her eyes. "It's sadistic, watching the punishment of souls."

Hades smiled creepily. "I am the god of the dead, after all."

Persephone ignored him, turning her attention back to Will. "How about we continue the tour, with these children?"

Will looked to Nico for a cue. Nico shrugged. His father's and his conversation was already done anyway. "That sounds wonderful, my lady."

Persephone smiled. "We should stop by Elysium, and the Isle of the Blest. The heroes are always so nice and their parties are fantastic."

Nico thought back to Christmas. He had planned to take Will down to the Underworld and to Elysium to show that the people he had lost didn't blame Will. But, that was when all hell had broken loose. Maybe, now was his chance.

He turned in a circle trying to figure out where he was. The gates to Elysium were in the distance, up the hill. The palace was towards his back. To his left, the cavern narrowed into a tunnel. His heart stopped. The hairs on his arms stood up.

It smelled of evil down the tunnel. Nico could taste the fire of the Phlegethon in his throat. He could feel the acid coursing through his veins after his encounter with Akhlys. He could feel the hellhounds ripping into his skin as he took one too many for one demigod to handle. The tunnel was an entrance to Tartarus.


	6. Chapter 6: Flirting with Death

Warnings: PTSD, panic attacks, anxiety, mentions of self-harm, violence, character injury. Please DO NOT READ if any of these themes upset you.

AN: I am planning to write about Nico's trip through Tartarus. It won't be for a while, but what do y'all think about that? Also, I have reread parts of each of the books, to try and put more details into my writing and more of Rick's characterizations. There are certain details that I have left out, but I am working on improving that!

Disclaimer: All rights reserved to Rick Riordan. I own nothing, but the plot.

Themes of self-harm, anxiety, and depression are depicted within this story. TRIGGER WARNING! Please do not read if these themes upset you. TRIGGER WARNING!

Criticism is appreciated, but please no hate. Please review and leave suggestions! Enjoy!

* * *

Nico's POV:

The tunnel was an entrance to Tartarus. The very same entrance that he had gone down. He had travelled down that tunnel, thinking he could go anywhere, as a son of Hades, without consequence. How his own arrogance had turned on him. Why had his father taken him here? Did he not know what he was putting Nico through by exposing him to this place?

It was the first time he had been so close to Tartarus since he had escaped. Since Percy and Annabeth had fallen in, which had been his fault. All the memories started seeping in. The terrors and horrors he had witnessed. In nightmares, waking up was his escape. But, he couldn't escape by waking up now. The hell-scape was no more than ten feet away. He remembered the pull of gravity that had taken him down to the Tartarus. He started breathing heavily. He didn't want to go back there. But, he couldn't move. He was frozen. He was sent back in time. Back to when he had first fallen into Gaea's trap.

* * *

 _Nico looked around. Up the hill, the gates to Elysium took residence. If only he was going there. Unfortunately, he had a much more serious mission. His father's palace was to his back. To his left, a tunnel. He peered down it. The stench coming from it was rancid, it smelled like a dead corpse rotting. Pure evil emanated from the tunnel. It seemed like the best place to start looking for the Doors of Death._

 _After being briefed about the Prophecy and after Percy had been deployed to Alaska for his quest with Hazel and Frank, Nico had made it his mission to find the Doors of Death. He knew that there was one in the mortal world, one in the Underworld. He was currently trying to find the one in the Underworld._

 _He pulled his sword from his belt, readying to fight whatever came his way. He slowly started approaching the tunnel. It narrowed considerably, providing no light. He raised his sword, using the dark glow to lead his way. The tunnel reeked of death. But Nico had just started his searched; he couldn't have found the doors so quickly._

 _He had a bad feeling pass over him. Something was wrong. Even the Field of Punishment didn't have this kind of aura. Only one place did. His eyes widened in fear. He started scrambling back, out of the tunnel. But, whatever forces controlled the tunnel had already found their prey._

 _Nico tried to run, but he wasn't making any progress. It felt like he was stuck in a black hole. He lost his footing. He hit the ground hard as he was sucked down the tunnel. The only thought he had was to keep a tight grip on his sword. He couldn't lose that. Not where he was going._

 _He looked down at his feet, trying to discern where he was going. The tunnel path continued for a little while, before dropping off a cliff. It was ten feet away. Five feet. Nico screwed his eyes closed as he dropped over the side, screaming._

* * *

"Nico!?" He heard Will scream. A couple of minutes had passed and Nico's companions were attempting to get his attention to no avail. He had just frozen.

Nico looked at Will with haunted eyes. Will immediately took a step back, terrified of the hate and fear he had just seen in Nico's eyes. "What?" Nico spat with some much venom that even his father took a step back.

"You froze- What's wrong?" Will took a step towards him.

Nico took a step back. "Don't touch me."

"Is he having a fit or something?" Persephone murmured to Hades in what was meant to be a whisper, but Nico's senses were heightened. Adrenaline was coursing through his veins, trying to stave off the fear. But the fear was overwhelming him as well.

"Am I having a fit or something? Yes, dear stepmother. That is exactly what is happening!" Nico's voice was high. "If that's not too much for your godly brain to comprehend."

Persephone looked deeply offended, but Nico was past caring. He was trying to settle himself down. "Your word obviously doesn't mean anything, demigod. You haven't changed one bit."

"Shut up!" Nico and his father said in sync.

Persephone looked at her husband with hurt in his eyes. "Hades-"

"Something is wrong with my son, so kindly stop talking!" Hades demanded as he swept across the lawn closer to his son.

Nico heard his words and his defenses went up. "So there is something wrong with me father?" His heart was trying to beat out of his chest. He was having a hard time breathing. "Maybe, it's you that there is something wrong with, bringing me here!"

"What, what is he talking about?" Will whirled around to Hades. Hades face dawned with understanding. "The Underworld?"

"That tunnel. That's an entrance into-" he trailed off.

Will's eyes cleared with understanding. "Tartarus." He whispered.

The air seemed to get colder and hotter with the name. The humidity increased in the air as Nico saw ice appear on the ground. The air was suffocating. A hand broke through the surface.

Nico leaped back with a scream. The hand was torn up. There was grey skin, but it was ripped open revealing blood and muscle tissue below it.

"What? What is it Nico?" Will looked around in fear. "What do you see?"

Nico raised a shaky hand. "That."

Hades and Will looked, but failed to see anything. "He's hallucinating." Hades informed Will. "He thinks he's back there."

"Nico, Nico, look at me." Will's voice was calm. It agitated Nico even more, "Look at me!" Nico heeded the command, eyes shooting up to meet Will's. Will smiled encouragingly. "That's right. Everything is okay. You are going to be okay."

"You can't- you can't know that."

Will nodded. "Yes, yes I can. Because I know you. You are going to get through this."

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw his father trying to approach him. He whirled around to stop his father. "Please, don't."

His hands were steaming, the grass around him was withering and dying.

Hades held his hand out. Nico detected fear in his eyes. In the back of his mind, he realized that his father had never actually seen him having a panic attack. He had seen him in the midst of self-harm, but not a full blown panic attack.

"I can help, Nico. I can take the pain away." Hades wasn't looking directly at Nico, but Nico was too focused on his fear to notice.

"I- I don't want help. I just- I just want it to stop!" He screamed.

"What? What do you need to stop?" Hades gave a slight nod, and before Nico realized what was happening, Will lightly touched his arm.

The contact lead to another rush of memories. Giants grabbing him to force him into the bronze jar. He jerked back, attempting to get away from the contact.

"I said don't touch me!" He threw his hands towards his attacker, power energy rushing out of him. The figure who had touched him was flying through the air. His momentum was stopped by a nearby tree. The figure hit the ground with a loud thud.

Another hand grabbed his arm. He turned to send the new assailant flying as well. But, this attacker was more powerful. Nico felt himself expel a huge force of energy. A figure in the background was hit with the force and went down. But, the person holding him seemed to have absorbed Nico's energy. He didn't move an inch.

The figure wrapped his arms around Nico. Nico tried to fight back, but the attacker holding him was stronger. Nico allowed himself to slip to the ground. The person holding him followed.

"Let me go-" his voice was cracking. He was going to be taken again. He was going back to Tartarus. "Please. I'll- I'll do anything!"

He felt a cold finger touch his forehead. Suddenly, the fog of his memories faded. He was in the Underworld, with his father's arms around him. His heart was still racing, his limbs still shaking, but the fog faded. He knew where he was.

"It's okay. You're okay." Nico listened to his father's words, but he didn't trust himself move just yet. He focused on the tangible things. The dead grass beneath his feet. The tight grip that his father had on him. Breathing in and out.

Now that he knew where he was, the fear started to fade. He got control of his emotions as he fought his way out of his panic attack.

"Oh my gods," he pushed his father away, embarrassed by his breakdown. He was still shaking. "I am so sorry."

"I'm the one who should be apologizing. I didn't realize where I was taking you." Hades said solemnly, sitting on his knees. He was carefully watching Nico.

"Hades!" Persephone's panicked voice rang out. Hades stood immediately. Nico tried to stand, but his father stopped him.

"Stay here, it's best for you to just stay here. You need to catch your breath." Hades advised.

"What's going on?" Nico was fearful. Why had Persephone sounded so panicked? Wait a second, where was Will? "Will?"

Hades faced took one of concern. He opened his mouth to speak, but was interrupted.

"Hades, please!" Persephone's voice sounded even more agitated.

Nico thought back to his panic attack. There had been a first attacker. He had sent him flying into a tree. That had been- "No-"

Nico sprang up, spinning around quickly. He spotted the tree. Persephone was crouched over a figure. She looked up as Nico stood. She had ichor running down a cut that had appeared on her face.

The figure on the ground had blond hair. Will. Nico's vision tunneled. His feet was moving faster than his mind, and before he knew it, he was crouched over Will as well. His eyes were closed.

"Oh my gods, what have I done?" Nico whispered, guilt stabbing through his body. He looked up at Persephone.

Persephone looked at him, pity reflected in her eyes. "It wasn't your fault." She mused quietly.

"Is he-?" He couldn't let the last word out. He felt his father arrive above him. Nico could figure it out himself, but he was too emotionally compromised.

Will suddenly groaned. Nico felt the grip on his heart loosen a little. Will was alive. His blue eyes fluttered open. "Nico-"

Nico threw himself on top of Will, squeezing the life out of his boyfriend. "Oh my gods, I am so sorry!"

Will gasped in pain. Nico released him quickly. Nico scanned him, trying to find out what was wrong. Will had taught him the basics when it came to first-aid, but he didn't possess very good healing skills.

"What's wrong? What hurts?" Nico asked. Nico lightly felt around Will's head for any bumps. "You were unconscious when I got over here. That could be a sign of a concussion-"

"Nico, you are- you are panicking," Will informed. "You just had a panic attack and you can't go into another one."

"I'm trying to figure out what's wrong!" Nico said, still looking over Will's body. "If I hurt you-"

"I'm okay-"

"If you are just saying that-"

"It's just my arm, Nico. I dislocated my left shoulder when I hit the ground."

His heart stopped beating as rapidly. He cocked his head to look at Will. "But, but you passed out-"

Will grinned sheepishly. "I'm not very good with pain. The impact of hitting the ground hurt me, causing me to pass out, but I'm okay, it's okay."

Nico looked deeply into Will's eyes. "Are you sure that's it?'

Will nodded, wincing ever so slightly. "I'm a doctor; and I'm fine. I am more worried about you. Are you okay?" He reached out to touch Nico's face.

Nico hit Will in his approaching good arm. "I thought you were dead!"

"Ouch!" Will lowered his arm, glaring at Nico. 'I'm okay. A few scrapes and bruises, but once you pop my shoulder back into place, I'll be as good as new."

"Me?" Nico asked. "I can't- I don't know how to do that-"

Will pushed himself up with his good hand and the help of Persephone. He sat up against the tree. "I will walk you through it. It is a piece of cake."

"Shouldn't we take you back to Camp? Kayla can do it, or Austin-"

"You can do this," Will assured. "I trust you."

"What if I hurt you?" He whispered, closing his eyes. "I caused you this pain in the first place. I don't want to make it worse."

Will put his hand on Nico's face. Nico heard a silent rustle and realized that his father and Persephone had backed off to give them space. "This wasn't your fault. You cannot help when your panic attacks strike. I should have known better than trying to touch you while you were in the midst of one."

Nico felt Will brush away the tear that had fallen down his face. "I- I thought I was back there. That tunnel… that's how I got sucked in the first time. I thought you were the giants- kidnapping me- and when I found out it was you and I had hurt you…"

"I'm okay, Nico. I am honestly more worried about you and how you are feeling. Your panic attacks can be dangerous. You can overtax your powers and exhaust yourself when they happen. The stress you go through isn't healthy."

Nico opened his eyes. "You are the one who just got catapulted into a tree. You need more medical attention than I do."

Will was searching his eyes, trying to gauge Nico's pain. "Emotional trauma can be just as if not more destructive than physical damage. My arm isn't going anywhere."

"Hey, stop trying to get into my head," Nico looked away from Will's eyes. "My anxiety and stress isn't going anywhere either. And you aren't going to be able to go anywhere until we fix that arm. How would I go about doing that?"

* * *

Will's POV:

Will gave up trying to help Nico. He wasn't accepting it, so Will's attempts were futile as it was. He guessed that he should probably get his arm fixed. That was at least treatable now.

Will hadn't been entirely honest with Nico. He had hit his head pretty hard. He knew that he had a mild concussion, which had been the reason he had passed out. He didn't tell Nico because he hadn't wanted to further his anxiety and make things worse. Also, he didn't want Nico to feel responsible for hurting him. It had been Will's own fault, but he knew that the son of Hades was going to blame himself regardless of what anyone said. Just thinking that he had given Will a dislocated arm would most likely make Nico feel less guilty about sending him flying.

"So, popping my arm back into place isn't going to be hard," Will reassured. "I'm probably going to scream, but after it's over, I will be fine."

Nico looked uncertain. "Are you sure we shouldn't wait?"

Will nodded. "I'm sure. Are you ready?"

"As ready as I will ever be." Nico steeled himself.

"Okay, so first, I need to lay on my back." Nico helped him lay flat on the ground. "Next, I need you to move my left arm away from my body at a 90 degree angle."

Will winced at the pain as Nico moved his arm. "Like this?"

"Perfect-" Will gasped. "Now, you need to firmly grab my hand and pull my arm. Slowly. It should pop back into place."

Nico slowly started pulling his hand. Will dug his right hand into the ground at the pain, but did not cry out. Nico kept pulling. Will heard a 'clunk'.

Relief washed over him. "Stop. You did it. It's back in place." Nico let go of his hand. Will moved his hand around, feeling a lot less pain than before. "Thank the gods, that's much better."

"Do you think you can stand?" Nico asked. "I want- I want to get out of here." Nico was looking back at the tunnel.

"Yes," Will answered, bringing Nico's attention back to him. "Let's get back to the palace."

Nico helped Will sit up. Will looked carefully at Nico. There was so much tension in his body movements. He was still panicking. The moment the adrenaline left his body, Nico was going to crash. Hard. Will hoped that he would be okay enough to help him when Nico hit his wall.

Nico climbs over him to his right side and carefully wrapped his arm around Will's torso. The two boys stood. Will felt light-headed, but he kept his footing. He couldn't pass out. Not when Nico was in the state he was in. Nico coaxed him into wrapping his good arm around his shoulder. He complied.

Will looked up, trying to focus on not passing out. He saw Hades and Persephone standing off to the side, but close enough to help if needed. Will noticed a gash on Persephone's head. Nico must have sent her flying as well. She didn't look angry, however. She just looked concerned for Will. She and her husband were gods, they probably knew that he was lying to Nico about his state.

Will liked Persephone. They had spent about two hours together, but Will liked the goddess. He understood Nico's feelings towards her, but he hoped they could move passed that.

He looked at Hades. Hades looked concerned for his son. He most likely knew that Nico was close to the breaking point. But, he was keeping it together for Will.

Nico had had panic attacks about Tartarus before, but he had never been so close to the entrance. He couldn't imagine what was going through Nico's head at this point. He knew he never would, but he wanted to understand what Nico was going through. He wanted to help him.

They started walking forward. Will stumbled, causing Nico to come to a stop. "You okay?"

Will nodded, but then instantly regretted it. His head was pounding. "Let's just keep going."

"Do you need help, Nico?" Hades offered his other arm to help bear some of Will's weight.

"No," Nico said defensively. "I can do it on my own."

"But you don't have to."

Nico glared at his father. "I put him in this state, I should be the one to help him."

Hades backed off, showing his defeat. But, as the two boys walked, he and Persephone kept close by. Neither boy talked, but instead focusing on the task at hand. Nico, focused on not thinking of Tartarus and paying attention to what Will needed. Will tried not to pass out.

They made it about halfway to the palace before Will's vision turned upside. 'Nico," he gasped.

"What is it? What's wrong?" His tone was panicked, but it was too loud.

"Sit- sit down," he felt himself fall forwards. Nico slowed his fall, but they both hit the ground.

"What's happening? Will?" He slowly laid Will on the ground. Will shut his eyes against the colors of the Underworld. "Father!" Nico called out in desperation.

Will heard footsteps and whined at the noise and the movement. "Will?! Look at me!" He opened his eyes to look at Nico. He was blurry. "What's wrong?"

"Concuss…" his eyes rolled into the back of his head and he knew no more.

* * *

AN: Cliffhanger! Don't worry. I'm feeling creative so I will update soon. Also, DO NOT TRY THIS AT HOME. I got the instruction for popping a shoulder back into place from Wikihow. I do not know if it is accurate so please do not try at home! Please review!


	7. Chapter 7: Sibling Worry

_Disclaimer: All rights reserved to Rick Riordan. I own nothing, but the plot._

 _Themes of self-harm, anxiety, and depression are depicted within this story. TRIGGER WARNING! Please do not read if these themes upset you. TRIGGER WARNING!_

 _Criticism is appreciated, but please no hate. Please review and leave suggestions! Enjoy!_

* * *

Kayla's POV:

After an entire day of exhaustive search efforts, Cecil was still missing. Nico and her brother were still gone as well. That didn't worry her as much. The fact that they were in the Underworld was concerning, but she knew that Nico would protect her brother.

Kayla yawned as she did a final check on the infirmary. It was unoccupied, but Will made sure that someone always checked it before bed. She turned off the lights. She was about to lock the door behind her when she felt a cold rush go through the room. She opened the door to find Nico di Angelo appearing from the shadows. He was sprawled on the floor, holding tightly to an unconscious Will.

Kayla's heart skipped a beat as she rushed back into the infirmary. She turned on the light. Nico winced as it turned on. The movement caused him to look to the doors. His eyes sought out Kayla's.

"Kayla, thank the gods-"

"What happened?" She asked, kneeling down next to Will, taking his pulse.

"Underworld- Tartarus. Concussion." Nico's eyes rolled in the back of his head. He collapsed onto Kayla. She carefully lowered him to the ground.

She needed to assess the situation and figure out who needed her the most. Nico had been conscious went he first got here, but his health was usually in more danger than Will. She focused onto the son of Hades. His form was still solid. So maybe the shadow-traveling had exhausted him, but it wasn't why he had passed out. Physically, after quickly looking over his body, there didn't appear to be anything wrong with him. He had mentioned Tartarus. Kayla sensed that his pain was probably caused by that or memories of that place. If had had a severe enough panic attack, then it could cause him to pass out. But, now that he was already out, there was nothing she got do for him.

She turned her attention to Will. She surveyed his body. His right shoulder was swollen. She carefully prodded it. The shoulder had been dislocated, but popped back into place. He would need a sling for the next couple of days, but otherwise, it was okay for now.

Nico had also said concussion. She started feeling Will's head for any bumps. A good sized knot was on the back of his head. She grabbed a flashlight and peered into his eyes. His blue eyes were sensitive to the light. He, most likely, did have a mild concussion. But, otherwise, both boys seemed to be okay, with shockingly no life-threatening injuries. Kayla breathed a sigh of relief. The only challenge Kayla was tasked with now was trying to get both unconscious boys into beds.

She started with Nico. He was unbelievable light so she was able to drag him over to a bed and lift him on top of it. Her brother was a different story. He was taller than Kayla, with a lot of muscle built up under clothes. And, she didn't want to risk aggravating his head injury anymore. She figured that she should probably go get someone to help her move him.

She took off across the lawns. One, she wanted to get Will in a bed quickly. Two, she really did not want to be eaten by the cleaning harpies. A camper had been caught after curfew two months ago. Let's just say, Kayla never wanted to clean a harpy injury again.

She slipped into her cabin, and past her sleeping siblings. She made her way over to Austin's bunk. He was snoring. She put her hand over his mouth and poked him lightly in the shoulder. As Kayla expected, he woke immediately, ready to yell at his waker. He looked around in confusion, and then he relaxed as he noticed it was Kayla. She thought it was safe to remove her hand.

"What is it?" He whispered.

"Will. He's back. And I need your help." At mention of their brother, Austin slid off his bunk. He laced up a pair of shoes and, within a minute, was following Kayla out of the cabin.

When they stared across the lawns, Kayla began explaining what had happened.

"Oh, so you just need me to help move Will? Thank the gods; I'm not much of a healer."

"I know that." Kayla pointed out. "I could have done it on my own, but I didn't want to injure Will further."

"Plus he's a fatty." Austin joked.

Kayla rolled his eyes. "Oh please, you were complaining the other day about how much more fit Will is than you."

Austin considered this as they opened the door to the Big House. "This may be true, but Will doesn't have to know that."

Kayla pushed open the doors to the infirmary. Nico was still unconscious on the bed. Will had not moved from his comatose position on the floor.

"Why am I not surprised that Nico is lying dead over here?" Austin asked, gently prodding the son of Hades.

"Stop that!" Kayla admonished. "He passed out; he's not dead. And he goes where Will goes."

She grabbed a stretcher from the side of the room. She slid it under Will. She moved to Will's head while Austin moved to his feet. They lifted the stretcher. She directed Austin to the bed next to the sleeping son of Hades. She moved Will from the stretcher onto the bed.

"Thanks, Austin."

"Of course. You need any other help?"

She shook her head. "No, I just have to do some final checks and monitor Will and Nico overnight."

"Not coming back to the cabin then?"

"Do I ever, with these two boys to look after?" She joked.

Austin laughed. "No, I guess not. If you need me to, I can stay with you. Don't be a hero; you need your sleep too."

Kayla scoffed. "I am a hero, thank you very much."

"Says your total of zero quests."

"You haven't been on any quests either, Mr. Mightier-Than-Thou. At least I got dad's healing abilities."

"Yeah, I was just stuck with music. My YouTube subscribers are devastated that I am not a doctor."

Kayla rolled her eyes. "I knew it was going to be dangerous for you to get a YouTube channel. The stardom is going to your head."

Austin sat down in the rolling chair at the front of the infirmary. He spun around a few times. "You know, I think I'll stay here overnight. Healing patients, interacting with the doctors, it's humbling."

"You just want to annoy me all night, don't you?"

"That's just an added bonus," he winked at her.

Kayla grabbed another chair by Will's bed, sitting down next to her brother. She brushed the hair that was falling into his face.

"How is he?" Austin asked, leaning forwards.

"I won't know until he wakes up. I don't want to give him nectar yet because I don't know how bad his concussion is."

Austin nodded in understanding. "When do you think he will wake up?"

"I have no idea. He seems pretty exhausted as it is. And he's really worried about Cecil. He might be down for a while."

"Everyone is pretty worried about Cecil. He wouldn't just disappear."

"And Cecil is Will's best friend. Will has been pretty focused on Nico these past couple of months, but Cecil has always been there for him." Kayla explained. "He understood how much Nico meant to him."

"I know that Nico makes Will happy, but he can also make him pretty unhappy too. Remember how crushed Will was when Nico broke up with him?" Austin reminded.

"Will was devastated. And he was devastated the other day too."

Austin tilted his head in confusion. "Why?"

Kayla looked over to the sleeping boys, making sure neither was awake. "Nico told Will that he wanted to take a break from their relationship. He was planning to go down to the Underworld to live with his father to 'find himself.'"

"So he was planning to leave Will again? Unbelievable." Austin scoffed. "Cecil's disappearance must have been like insult to injury."

"Cecil's disappearance is why Nico is staying for right now. But, once we figure this all out, it's bye-bye Nico di Angelo." Kayla muttered. She ran her hand through her hair. "I know that Nico's been through a lot, with Tartarus and almost getting killed by Aaron, but I can't believe how much he's put Will through. Will has been injured more times during his relationship with Nico than ever before."

"You don't trust him, then? Nico?" Austin asked.

"I care about Nico di Angelo a lot. But, I don't really know. I don't know if he really cares about Will, considering he keeps putting him in dangerous situations. He's- unstable as well. I think it would do him a world of good to take a break from Will and Camp."

Austin considered this. "I don't think he has had time to deal with the trial and everything Aaron put him through, much less all the other shit in his past. He need times to heal. Physically and emotionally. And his self-harm… It's not healthy."

"How did you know that?" Kayla's voice was like a whip. Nico's self-harm was supposed to remain a secret. Patient-doctor confidentially and all.

"Doesn't everyone?" Austin looked alarmed.

"No, not everyone does." Kayla said forcefully. "Nico has been trying to keep it a secret, but people keep finding out."

"Who- who does know?"

"Why? Have you told anyone?" Kayla's voice was defensive.

"Of course not!" Austin reassured. "I just wanted to know."

Kayla breathed a sigh of relief. "Okay. Will and I obviously know. Chiron knows as well. Jason, Percy, and Hazel know. As for the others, I have no idea. Most have them have probably suspected. I'm sure that Reyna and Annabeth have picked up on it. But, Nico has never admitted that he does self-harm. He's never had a conversation with them."

"How do you know all about this?" Austin asked.

"I am Nico's doctor as much as Will is. I've been briefed on his situation and the things he's been through. Obviously I don't know it all, but I know a lot about Nico." Kayla explained. "Now, how did you figure out about Nico's self-harm?"

"When Hades returned with Nico after he disappeared after the trial, I was with Will. We brought Nico into the infirmary and he was hurt. Badly. He had cuts all over his arms. I put two and two together. It was devastating to see."

Kayla nodded. "I can imagine. Actually, I can't. I have seen Nico injured many times, but I have never helped heal him when he has cut himself. That's always been up to Will."

"Will puts way too much pressure on himself. He's acting like he's an adult, but he's only 16."

"I agree with you." Kayla brushed his hair out of his face. "I worry for him as well. Like I said, I know Nico cam make Will happy, but they both have a lot of things they are struggling with. Nico has just had hardship after hardship thrown at him. I feel for him. I worry about him. I care for him. But, I also am looking out for my brother. Those hardships affect Will as well. And Will is still dealing with his mother and moving her up here."

"Has his mother… continued her drinking?" Austin asked.

Kayla looked uncertain. "Will says that she's stopped, but I've met his mom. I know the kind of person she is. I think she's gotten good at concealing it from Will."

"Have you voiced these concerns to Will?"

"Of course I did, but he wants to believe the best in his mother. I can't stop him from that. I just don't want to see him hurt."

"And yet, it keeps happening." Austin mentioned.

"And it's partially Nico's fault." Kayla whispered, glancing at the sleeping son of Hades. "Not purposefully of course, but still. I know I might sound like a bitch, but someone had to say it. Will gets hurt because of Nico."

Austin and Kayla became silent as they looked over the two boys.

* * *

Nico POV:

"And it's partially Nico's fault." Nico woke to the sound of Kayla's whisper. "Not purposefully of course, but still. I know I might sound like a bitch, but someone had to say it. Will gets hurt because of Nico."

So, that's what Kayla thought about him. That he just hurt Will time after time. Nico felt a stab of guilt. She was right. No matter what he did, whether injury to himself or protecting Will, Will always ended up getting hurt. Nico had been having a panic attack and he had hurt Will. And he hadn't just dislocated his arm. He had given him a concussion. What kind of boyfriend drags his boyfriend to the Underworld then proceeds to have a panic attack and knock out his boyfriend?

These were the last thoughts he had before sleep reclaimed him.


	8. Chapter 8: Arguing with Death

AN: hey guys. I know it's been forever since I have updated but I am not in a good place in my life right now. So many things have been happening and I have had multiple panic attacks, so I have not been able to focus on anything, especially not my story. I apologize for this, but I also have to take my own mental health into account. I am not ending my story, of course, but my updates are going to be a lot less frequent as I try to get myself figured out. Thank you for understanding.

* * *

Disclaimer: All rights reserved to Rick Riordan. I own nothing, but the plot.

Themes of self-harm, anxiety, and depression are depicted within this story. TRIGGER WARNING! Please do not read if these themes upset you. TRIGGER WARNING!

Criticism is appreciated, but please no hate. Please review and leave suggestions! Enjoy!

* * *

Will's POV:

His head was pounding. He woke up, grabbing his head in pain and groaning. He tried to open his eyes and found them assaulted by the harsh lights of the infirmary.

"Careful, you have a concussion." Kayla's voice sounded loud in his ears.

"Not. So. Loud. Please." Will asked. "I think I'm in sensory overload."

"Well, you do have a concussion so it makes sense." Kayla's voice became quieter.

Will opened his eyes again. The light wasn't as bad the second time. He looked into Kayla's eyes. She smiled when she saw him.

"What have you given me?" Will asked, not sitting up. He knew that if he tried he would experience vertigo.

"Nothing, yet. I didn't know how bad your concussion was and I wanted to see how you were when you woke up."

"Well, I feel like crap, so does that give me permission to have some ambrosia or nectar?"

Kayla smirked and disappeared for a moment. She returned with a glass of nectar. "What happened? How did you get a concussion?"

Will winced as he sat up. "Didn't Nico explain what happened? I don't even know all that happened."

"No." Kayla said. "He shadow-travelled himself and you into the infirmary. As soon as he arrived, he passed out."

Will froze at her words. He looked around the infirmary. "Where is he now? Why did he pass out?"

Kayla shoved the glass of nectar into his hands. "You need to drink this first."

Will tried to put it down. "I need to find Nico, he's not- he's not okay."

Kayla stopped him. "For the love of Aphrodite, Will. You need to focus on yourself and your health for once. Drink, then we'll talk."

"Is he okay?"

"Drink!"

Will glared at her. He chugged the nectar. His forehead broke out in a sweat. Nectar was extremely useful to demigods, but it always did have the power to make them explode. It was supposed to be sipped, not chugged. He put the empty glass on the table. "Happy?"

Kayla looked at him, cross. "That was an idiotic thing to do, Will."

Will felt hot, but ignored it. "I asked for an explanation, Kayla. This was the only way to make it happen faster."

"Nico's gone."

"Where?" Will was deadly calm.

"Not from camp," Kayla corrected herself. "Just the infirmary. He woke up and left immediately left. Didn't say anything, refused treatment."

"Was he okay?" Will asked. "What happened to him?"

"I don't really know. He didn't explain. But, he didn't pass out because of shadow-traveling. It was for another reason. He mentioned something about Tartarus..."

Will nodded. "So, we went down to the Underworld. Hades didn't know, or wouldn't say what he knew about Cecil's disappearance. Nico was taxed out after jumping us down there so he crashed for a few hours. We got invited to dinner with Hades and Persephone."

"And how did that go?" Kayla was in awe.

"I mean, it was fine. Just like any other dinner when you meet the family. Afterwards, Hades and Nico went off to talk about some things. Persephone took me on a tour of the gardens and the palace. We eventually met up with Hades and Nico again."

"Okay, this doesn't explain the state you or Nico were in."

"I'm getting there. We met up with Nico and Hades again, in a deep part of the Underworld. There was a tunnel. And it was an entrance to Tartarus."

"No," Kayla whispered.

Will nodded solemnly. "The same entrance that Nico was sucked into. He- he had a panic attack. It- it was bad. He started hallucinating and his clothes were steaming. It was terrifying. I tried to calm him down, to pull him out of it, but he-" his voice broke off.

"What did he do? Did he do this to you?" Kayla asked, lightly touching Will on the face.

He moved away from her touch. "It wasn't his fault. He didn't mean to." He looked into Kayla's eyes. "A burst of energy went through him and he sent me flying. Into a tree."

"Oh my gods, Will."

"I passed out, but I woke up to him freaking out over me. It was an honest mistake; he didn't mean to hurt me. It just- happened. I had a mild concussion and a dislocated shoulder. He was on the verge of another panic attack so I only told him about the shoulder. He popped it back into place."

"That's why it was so swollen." Kayla mentioned.

"He did the best he could. I wouldn't have been able to move if he hadn't done it." Will defended. "He got me up and we started walking back to the palace. But, I passed out. He must have then shadow-travelled us here, but I don't know what happened."

"So, why did Nico pass out then?" Kayla asked.

"The panic attack pushed him over the edge. He was so terrified and so stressed that once his adrenaline faded, and he knew he was safe, his body shut down. He passed out." Will explained. "Which is why I need to find him. How long ago did he leave?"

"It's noon now. He woke up and left about two hours ago." Kayla informed.

Will started to get up. He grabbed a hoodie that was on the nearest bed. "Did he say where he was going?"

Kayla put her hands on his chest, trying to restrain him. "Whoa, you still have a concussion. The nectar hasn't kicked in yet."

When she mentioned it, Will felt the pain he had been ignoring in his head. "I'm fine, Kayla. But, I don't think Nico is."

"Worry about yourself for once, Will." Kayla said.

"That's what I have you for. You can worry about me, while I worry about Nico."

Kayla scowled. "Will, it is against my medical advise that you leave the infirmary right-"

"Kayla, I just need to make sure he's okay. He was really shaken after Tartarus yesterday. And right after the whole situation with Aaron. Just let me go make sure he's okay."

Kayla backed off, throwing her hands up in defeat. "Fine, go. But, don't come moaning to me when you get a terrible headache, because I might find myself out of nectar."

"But, what if I'm in a lot of pain?" Will asked as he struggled into the hoodie.

She gave him a pointed look. "I gave you permission to leave, you better get out of here before I change my mind."

"Point taken." Will conceded.

He walked over to the door, heading outside. Wincing as he stepped into the sunlight, Will started his search for Nico. He first headed to Cabin 13. He knocked on the door, before opening it, after receiving no response.

"Nico?" He whispered, looking around at the empty room. He surveyed the area, seeing if there was any trace of where Nico had gone. He noticed a note on the bed. Will picked it.

"Hey, 

I tried texting, but it wasn't going through. I had to check on some things with my father. Be back tonight.

-Nico"

Will crumbled the note in his hand. Nico was avoiding him. He wouldn't usually disappear, especially if Will was injured. Apparently, he in a worse state than Will thought.

Pain shot through his head. Will sat down on Nico's bed, eventually lying down when he became light-headed. He settled into the comfy pillows, trying to alleviate the pain.

* * *

Nico's POV:

He reentered his father's palace for the second time in 24 hours. He had woken up around 10 and immediately left the infirmary to come to the Underworld. He thought back to what had happened yesterday.

 _Will collapsed into his arms. "Will!" Nico exclaimed, feeling for his pulse. He looked up at his father who was standing over him. "Father!"_

 _Hades knelt down, robes billowing around him. "It's okay, son. He just passed out."_

 _"But, what if it's worse than that?" Nico was panicked. "I hurt him, I sent him into that tree, this is my-"_

 _Hades grabbed Nico's shoulders. "It is not your fault. It is my fault for taking you down there. Will is going to be fine, we just have to get him to the palace and we will take care of him."_

 _"I'm not a doctor, you aren't a doctor, he needs help! I- I have to get him to the infirmary." Nico grabbed Will, ready to shadow travel._

 _"Nico, slow down, you are in no condition to shadow travel right now. You are high-strung and just put yourself under immense strain. You need to stay here. We can take care of you and him."_

 _Nico tried to push his father away. "I have to go."_

 _His father tightened his grip. "If I let you go, you need to return back to the Underworld. We need to talk about what happened."_

 _Nico nodded quickly. "Okay." His father released his arm and Nico melted into the shadows._

As promised, he was now returning to his father's palace. He was walking slowly, dreading the conversation he and his father were about to have. A conversation pertaining to feelings and fears.

His pace slowed even more as he came up on the throne room. He stopped right before entering.

"Standing there isn't going to delay the inevitable." Nico jumped as his father's voice sounded behind him.

"Holy Hephaestus, don't do that!" Nico clutched his racing heart.

Hades shrugged. "I'm not that terrifying." Silence fell over them. "So, ready to talk?"

"No."

"Nico," his father started.

"What?" He snapped.

Hades raised an eyebrow. "You are more hostile than usual. What happened at camp?"

"What do you expect me to be after reliving my worst nightmares? Content?" Nico said sarcastically.

"This isn't because of Tartarus." His father deducted.

"You aren't a therapist; stop trying to psychoanalyze me."

Hades sighed, recognizing defeat. "Let's go sit down."

Nico grimaced but headed towards the throne room, realizing that he had to get this conversation over with eventually. His father wouldn't stop bothering him until he did. He stopped when he realized that his father wasn't following. He turned giving his father a quizzical look.

"I was thinking we could talk in your room."

Nico's heart raced. His father was trying to make him as comfortable as possible. What was going on. "Why- why my room?"

"The throne room is undergoing renovations."

"It wasn't yesterday." Nico pointed out.

"Well, my mood changed and I wanted a new throne room." Hades mused. He started walking to Nico's room. Nico had no choice but to follow.

Hades pushed the door open, making himself at home. He sat down in the desk chair, leaving the bed available for Nico. Nico sat warily. The father and son were silent for a moment before Hades started.

"I want to talk about what happened last night." Hades revealed.

"What? The fact that I have panic attacks?" Nico questioned. "I'm good if we pass on that conversation, thanks."

"No, I want to talk about why you had the attack-"

"-Being that close to Tartarus will do that to you-"

"-and what happened afterwards." Hades finished, electing to ignore Nico's interruption.

"What happened afterwards is that I injured my boyfriend, who deserves way better than me." Nico guessed he was feeling more animosity towards Kayla than he first believed.

"There's that aggressiveness again. Why would you say that? Will seems perfectly happy with you."

"I don't want to talk about it."

Hades threw his hands up. "Nico, you have never dealt with or faced the difficulties you have had in life."

"Exactly. I don't plan to do it now."

Hades held up a warning finger. "Then that will be your downfall-"

"I have had enough downfalls for a lifetime." Nico interrupted. "I'm done with them."

"Even now, you are avoiding talking about what you are feeling."

"Why do I need to? Talking about it just brings up bad memories." Nico pointed out.

"Which you need to face, son. Sooner or later, those fears, those memories are going to come back and completely shatter you."

Nico's temper broke. "I have already been completely shattered! I have had to build myself back up after going through the worst experience of my life, and continue to face terrible circumstances. It has been seven months since the most traumatic experience of my life and nothing has changed! I'm as bad as I was when I got out of Tartarus! I'm not getting stronger or happier or anything! And I don't know who can help me, because no one seems to understand me. I want to be strong, I want to be myself again, but the desire for these things is not enough to achieve them! I don't even know who I am anymore! I am destructive and hurtful and all I do is cause pain!" He screamed, feeling the fight go out of him.

He was done with being told how to act or what he should be feeling or talking about. His father, wisely, said nothing, not wanting to further his son's misery.

A few minutes later, after Nico had calmed down a bit, he spoke again. "You keep saying that you can help ? You keep saying that me being down here will make me better. I'm down here and everything appears to be going to shit. So, what makes you think that you can help me? Because I am not seeing any solutions or any progress."

"You have to work with me, Nico. You have to accept help before I can give it to you."

"But how are you going to help me?" Nico asked, voice low. "You aren't a therapist; you aren't a counselor. You don't understand what I've been through."

"You're right," Hades conceded. Nico was taken aback. His father rarely agreed with him. "Your experiences are your own; I haven't experienced what you have. I don't even know all the things you have gone through. And I am not going to be able to fix you."

Nico looked at his father in shock. "Then, why the fuck am I here?"

"You misunderstand me. I will help you and give you whatever you need, but I cannot snap my fingers and cure you. Only you have to find the power to fix yourself. The only one who can solve your problems and face your demons is you. Now, you do have the support of me and your friends, but in the end, you will be responsible for your own happiness."

Nico understood what his father was saying, but he didn't know how to go about making himself happy. He didn't know how to heal himself. His confusion caused him to close up again. "Is there any other reason you called me down here?"

Hades blinked at him. "I thought- I thought we were going to talk."

"I've had enough of talking today. Do you need me for anything else?"

"No, I guess not-"

Nico stood, walking across the room. "Excellent. Well, I will be on my way. I will let you know if I decide that I need your help, that apparently won't help." He slammed the door behind him.


	9. Chapter 9: Better

AN: Hello dear readers! I have returned from my couple month hiatus. I'm sorry for disappearing for a while. I have had a rough couple of months, anxiety and depression taking over my life. I'm back on my feet again and am on winter break. My updates will still be sporadic, but I have not abandoned this story or you guys. This chapter really sucks, I just knew I needed to get something on the page. I will update another chapter within the next couple of days. Thank you for sticking with me and continuing to support me. I hope everyone had a Happy Holidays and enjoyed time with family and friends!

Disclaimer: All rights reserved to Rick Riordan. I own nothing, but the plot.

Themes of self-harm, anxiety, and depression are depicted within this story. TRIGGER WARNING! Please do not read if these themes upset you. TRIGGER WARNING!

Criticism is appreciated, but please no hate. Please review and leave suggestions! Enjoy!

Will's POV:

His eyes opened, blearily. His head was still pounding. He looked around the room, trying first to figure out where he was and second, what had woken him. Dark, black, elegant. So, the Hades cabin. He vaguely remembered falling asleep. He refocused himself.

The door closed. "Nico?" He whispered into the dark.

There was rustling and the room lit up. Will flinched from the light, shielding his eyes.

"Will, what are you doing here?" Nico asked.

"Can't- please turn the light out." There was a click and the lamp turned back off. The pain lessened. "Thank you."

The bed dipped as Nico sat. "What are you doing here?"

Will reached to where Nico's voice was issuing from. He latched onto a hand. "Looking for you. You are freezing. Where were you?"

"You should be in the infirmary; you have a concussion." Nico admonished lightly.

"And you shouldn't have run off like that. Come over here, we need to warm you up." Will opened his arms.

"I'm fine right here." His tone was short. Will lightly tilted his head.

"What's wrong? What happened?"

"Why did anything have to happen?"

"Your tone and disappearance this morning tells me that something did happen." Will pointed out. "So, let's make everything easier and have you tell me."

"You should be asleep. It's midnight-"

"Nico!" Will said forcefully. He groaned as it made his head ache.

"You aren't in any condition to be lecturing me right now when you are in this bad of a state. And you are in this state because of me." Nico said.

Will opened his mouth to say something else, but he felt Nico's cool finger touch his forehead. The desire for sleep flooded into his system. "No- I-" he trailed off as he felt himself falling backwards. He was asleep before he hit the pillow.

Nico's POV

He was in the arena. He had already spent most of the morning using the punching bag, but it had not gotten his frustrations out. He had so many feelings inside him that he could not seem to get out. Confusion about the disappearances, guilt at hurting Will, anger at Kayla, frustration with his father, and most of all, hate for himself for not being able to fix the problems he was having.

He understood that healing takes time, but this was getting out of hand. How much more time would it take? How much longer would he have to feel crappy all of the time?

"There you are." Will's voice stopped Nico's movement. He slowly removed his hand from the punching bag.

"Here I am." Nico said, slowly turning around. He gave Will the once-over. "How do you feel?"

Will had his arms crossed over his chest. "Better. The nectar finally kicked in and sleep really helped. Though, the sleep was kinda forced."

"Yeah," Nico trailed off, not giving the apology Will obviously wanted. He turned back to the punching bag.

"What's going on, Nico?"

"Nothing-"

"I swear to gods Nico, if you give me that bullshit answer one more time-" he felt anger shoot through him. He whipped around quickly.

"What would you like me to say?" Nico asked, deadly calm.

Will raised his eyebrow. "The truth?"

"The truth?" Nico laughed bitterly. "I haven't gotten any better. If anything, I'm worse. I keep doing harmful things to you and others. These disappearances are extremely stressful and terrifying and there is absolutely nothing I can do."

"It's not your responsibility to do anything. It is not on you." Will reassured. "If anything, it's mine. Cecil-" he swallowed a lump down. "Cecil is my best friend. I should have- I should have paid more attention."

Nico didn't say anything, not looking at Will. He was undoing his gloves and redoing them.

"And what do you mean harmful things?"

"Need I remind you that you have a huge headache right now?" Nico spat. "Because of me?"

"And I've already forgiven you for that. You couldn't have prevented that." Will stepped forward. Nico stepped back.

"I should be able to. It's my head, it's my panic attacks. I know what freaks me out. I- I should have known being doing there would make me panic."

"That's the thing about anxiety; it's not always controllable, Nico." Will explained.

"Whatever." Nico said shortly. "I'm done talking about it. And I'm done hurting you."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Will sounded offended. "Are you trying to break up with me again? Because that's not going to happen. Not unless you have a valid reason."

"Considering your sister thinks I am bad for you and purposefully hurting you, I think that's reason enough!" His temper broke.

"What?" Will whispered. "What are you talking about?"

Nico realized the huge mess he had just gotten himself into. "Nevermind."

"No!" Will said forcefully. "You can't say something like that and then say nevermind. What has Kayla said about you? What did she say to you?"

"It doesn't matter. What she said was true. I'm not good for you. I cause you to get hurt." Nico shook his head sadly.

"No, you aren't leaving me, because Kayla couldn't keep her opinions to herself."

"This is why I didn't want to say anything!" Nico said. "Your siblings don't think I'm good enough for you and they hate me and are angry at me whenever I hurt you. And then you get angry at me for not telling you. But then, you yell at them and then they hate me even more."

"They don't hate you. And they shouldn't be talking about you and whatever opinions they have about you in front of you."

"Maybe they want me to hear." Nico whispered. "Maybe they want me to break up with you to stop causing pain."

"You aren't causing me pain. You are causing me pain by saying that you think you cause me pain. So stop saying it."

Nico closed his eyes and swallowed. "Okay."

"Are you just saying that to get me to shut up?" Will asked. Nico opened his eyes. Will was looking at him, arms crossed over his chest.

"No. I understand."

"Okay. Now, we are going to go have a conversation with Kayla and Austin."

Nico's eyes went wide. "No! That's the last thing I want."

"Why? They deserve to know that they were in the wrong."

"Please. Please do not do this. If you care about me, please do not talk to them." Nico begged.

"Why? I need a reason."

"Because I don't want to seem like a pathetic person who needs my boyfriend to defend me. They don't think much of me but I do not need them to think that I'm not strong enough to stand up for myself." Nico explained. "Please, Will, please."

"Okay, Okay. I won't. But I think you should stand up for yourself." Will advised.

"I'll consider it." Nico ended the conversation. He turned back to the punching bag.

"I'll see you later, then." Will said shortly, leaving the arena.


	10. Chapter 10: Another Problem

AN: hey y'all. I've returned to post this chapter but I'm still working on the next one after this. University is unbelievably stressful which is why my updates are so sparse. My timing with these events and going with the books is a little off but we are going to pretend that it lines up. Alright, I hope you enjoy!

Disclaimer: All rights reserved to Rick Riordan. I own nothing, but the plot.

Themes of self-harm, anxiety, and depression are depicted within this story. TRIGGER WARNING! Please do not read if these themes upset you. TRIGGER WARNING!

Criticism is appreciated, but please no hate. Please review and leave suggestions! Enjoy!

* * *

Nico's POV:

There was a rapid knock on the door. Will looked questioningly at Nico. Nico shrugged. He leapt up from the bed. It had been a week since Cecil disappeared. A week of tension for the whole camp as they searched everywhere for him. There were still daily search parties to look for missing son of Hermes. Will was besides himself with worry for his best friend. He and Nico had paid a visit to Cecil's mom, but no luck. It was like Cecil had disappeared into thin air.

Nico opened the door. It was Austin.

"Austin." Nico said coolly. He had been avoiding the Apollo cabin all week, only spending time with Will, trying to calm him down.

Austin eyes blinked, recognizing the cold tone. He did not address it. "Is Will here?"

Nico heard Will get up from the bed. "What's up, Austin?"

Austin looked to his brother. "We have a problem."

Nico felt a sinking in his stomach. "There's been another disappearance hasn't there?"

"Yes. Ellis Wakefield." Austin informed. "Sherman reported it this morning while I was talking to Chiron. We are organizing search parties now. Chiron needs everyone out there looking."

"This can't be a coincidence." Nico murmured. "I have a feeling that these are linked."

"What do you think it is, Nico?" Will asked.

Nico thought about it. The threat of the Titans was over. So what could it be? He thought of the looming feeling of dread he been experiencing the past couple of weeks. The dread usually went hand in hand with anxiety, but it was relentless, not giving him any breaks.

"Nico?" Nico blinked himself from his thoughts.

"Sorry. I don't really know. I have had this feeling of dread for the past couple of weeks. And the conversation with my father last week didn't reassure me so I have no idea what it is."

"They could have just left Camp." Austin suggested.

"Ellis I might understand. Having Ares as a father can be overwhelming. But, I don't really know much about him. Was he happy here?" Will said.

Austin shrugged. "We'd have to talk to Clarisse or Sherman."

"But, Cecil... Cecil had no reason to leave. He loved it here. And he hated going home whenever his mom asked for him." Will mused.

"Was he happy here?" Austin repeated Will's earlier question.

"What? Of course he was!" Will exclaimed. "Do you think he wasn't?"

"I don't know. I just... you haven't really been that close to him ever since..." he trailed off, looking at Nico.

Nico felt a sinking feeling in his stomach. "Since he started dating me? Because I've taken so much of his time?"

"Austin!" Will reprimanded.

"No, it's fine. Austin doesn't like me very much." Nico bluntly said.

Austin spluttered. "I never said that... that's not true!"

"Yeah, okay." Nico cut him off. "It doesn't matter. What matters is finding out what happened to Cecil and Ellis. Let's go talk to Sherman."

* * *

Will's POV:

"We will catch up Nico!" Will looked at Austin, with a withering gaze. "I need to talk to my brother."

Nico looked between the two boys. He shrugged and walked out of the cabin.

"Will, I can-" Austin started.

"What the Hades did you say to Nico to get him to think that you hate him?" Will asked.

"I haven't said anything to him!" Austin defended himself.

"Have you said anything about him? Someone could have told him." Will said.

"No, I don't go around gossiping about your boyfriend." Austin said. His eyes opened wide. "But, oh no..."

"What?" Will's voice was like a whip. "What did you say to him?"

"Nothing! Nothing directly at least... okay, so he brought you back from the Underworld and Kayla and I were treating you two. When we got you stabilized, we started talking about you two."

"Saying what, exactly?"

"Saying how we thought Nico was going to continue to hurt you and continues to hurt you! We don't want that to keep happening."

All Nico's comments over the past couple of days finally made sense. "Why? Why would you talk about him with him in the room? He is not the deepest sleeper! He probably heard everything!"

Austin looked ashamed. "We said nice things too..."

"Saying nice thins doesn't balance out how you were trashing him for 'hurting me' and how he is not good enough for me is." Will said forcefully.

"But it's true! All he does is hurt you." Austin exclaimed. Will opened his mouth to defend his boyfriend. "No! Let me talk before you go defending him again."

Will closed his mouth. Austin took in a deep breath. "All he does is hurt you Will. He says terrible things to you, he physically hurts you, he feels bad about it so he leaves you which hurts you. He is playing with you and your emotions and taking advantage of your overwhelming need to help everyone who is hurt! He is preying on the doctor complex you possess."

"How dare you say that!" Will was offended. Nico wasn't doing that. Was he? "Nico has been through a terrible time..."

"We've all been through terrible times, Will. It comes with the job."

"He went through Tartarus..."

"So did Percy and Annabeth and they are just fine."

"He lost his mother."

"Yeah? So did I, Will!" Austin said. "Look, I'm not saying he hasn't had a hard life. Because he has. Worse than most. But, you cannot allow yourself to be taken into his sob story. He needs to pick himself off the ground and actually want to get better. But, all he does is mope around and slice his wrists open, waiting for your sympathy and help. He's using you!"

Silence fell over the two brothers. Will wanted to punch Austin in the jaw. But he stopped himself. A seed of doubt worked its way into his mind. Could Nico... No. That's not the kind of person Nico was. Will shook his head from his thoughts.

"I never want to hear you talk about Nico like that again. Understand?" Austin opened his mouth, but Will was on a roll. "No, you don't get to speak. I love Nico and I care about his wellbeing. If he's using me, so what? I will let him use me if it will help him heal and get better. But that's the thing: he's not using me. He is struggling with himself and his mental health. He needs support, not people tearing him down. He alienates himself because he doesn't want other people's pity or them to think he just wants the attention. I know Nico much better than you, and I can assure you he is not using me."

"Believe what you will." Austin threw his hands up. "If I can't say anything that will convince you, I will just stop talking."

"Good. Now we have a son of Ares to find."

* * *

Nico's POV:

He was gone by the time Austin said "he's using you." When Will had first dismissed him from the room, Nico had struggled with staying behind and listening, because he knew that they were going to be talking about him. He made the decision to stay behind and now he was regretting this.

As he hurried to the Ares cabin, he thought about what Austin had said. He needed to get over himself and get better. He thought he was, when he asked for help from Will, but that was just using him and preying on his doctor complex.

He didn't want to use Will, so maybe he would just stop asking for help. He would stop asking and rely on himself. He wouldn't put Will through his pain or use him anymore. He needed to be okay. He needed to be normal. He needed to be happy and happy with his relationship, to show he was appreciative for Will. He needed to pretend like everything was okay.

"Nico, is everything okay?" A voice spoke out. He looked up, finding Sherman sitting on the steps of the Ares cabin.

Nico felt a lump in his throat. "Yea-" he cleared his throat. He was okay. He needed to be okay. "Yeah, I'm fine. How are you? What... what happened this morning? With Ellis?"

Sherman hung his head. "I have no idea, di Angelo. I woke up the cabin this morning, to go to the arena and train, and he... he was just gone. I looked everywhere. He just disappeared into thin air. All his stuff is here. He's just gone."

"You didn't hear anything during the night?" Nico asked. The story was similar to Cecil's. Creepily similar.

"Nothing. This isn't my fault." Sherman looked up at Nico.

"I know. No one is saying that it is your fault, Sherman." Nico reassured, putting his hand on his shoulder. "I don't think there is anything anyone could have done."

"But it is. Maybe if I had kept a closer eye on him. Made sure the other kids weren't as mean to him."

"This isn't on you, Sherman." Will's voice sounded behind Nico. Nico turned to see the two sons of Apollo approaching. Will looked at Nico, giving him the 'we need to talk' eyes. Nico averted his eyes, looking at Austin. Austin's eyes immediately looked towards the ground. "You aren't the head counselor. Clarisse is. She's just at college. This isn't on you."

"But I'm the one in charge."

"It's not on you, Sherman. It's not. Now, tell us everything you know about Ellis."


	11. Chapter 11: Secrets Revealed

AN: Hey, y'all! I actually had this chapter written but it got DELETED so I had to rewrite what I remembered (which was not very much) so that's why there was a huge gap between chapters and also university is so time-consuming! Enjoy! Also, I'm tying in some of Rick's other works (oooohhhh) and the timing is a little off n my story and with the Trials of Apollo as well, but let's pretend that dates have no meaning. Time is an illusion… anyways, it doesn't really impede the flow of my story, it just irritates me personally

Disclaimer: All rights reserved to Rick Riordan. I own nothing, but the plot.

This story discusses themes of self-harm, anxiety, and depression. Trigger warning. Do not read if any of these things upset you. Trigger warning!

Criticism is appreciated, but please no hate. Please review and leave suggestions! Enjoy!

* * *

Nico's POV:

Sherman didn't really have that much information about Ellis. He was mostly distraught as he blamed himself for the disappearance. But, Nico headed to the Big House to report to Chiron, while Will and Austin went to get more information from the Ares cabin.

Nico opened the door. "Chiron?"

He wasn't in the rec room, and a quick check upstairs proved that he was not in his quarters. He came back downstairs. He closed his eyes and listened carefully for any sounds. He heard light murmurings coming from the basement. Why was he in the basement? Grabbing the hilt of his sword, Nico lightly began treading down the staircase, pausing every now and then to avoid the creaking stairs. He peered down into the darkness and saw Chiron. He was talking quietly, but he was blocking whoever he was talking to. He made it to the basement floor before speaking up.

"Chiron?" The centaur turned quickly, looking at Nico.

"Mr. di Angelo, what are you doing down here?" Chiron thundered, clip-clopping over to him.

Nico saw who he was talking to. His heart started beating faster. The walls seemed to be closing in on him. "What am _I_ doing down here? What in Hades is _he_ doing down here?"

Sitting on a cot in the basement was Aaron Stevenson. His eyes widened with shock to see Nico.

"I can explain-" Chiron came forward as if to put a hand on Nico's shoulder.

"No," Nico stumbled back, tripping over himself. He landed on the concrete ground, catching himself with his hand. It started bleeding. The darkness in the room seemed to culminate around Nico. "He- he is supposed to be gone. He was supposed to be kicked out of camp."

"Nico, let me explain-" Aaron dared to say.

"No!" Nico pointed a shaky finger at him, walking towards him. His hand was crackling with dark energy as panic took over. "You don't get the right to an opinion. You don't deserve the right to talk to me!"

"Mr. di Angelo-" Nico whirled on his mentor as he spoke.

"And you! You've been- concealing Aaron's presence here for how long? I've slept upstairs in the Big House, the same place he is in, the infirmary I almost died in, because of _him_." He pointed an accusing finger behind him at Aaron. "He almost killed me!"

"I can explain if you all-" Chiron said calmly.

"Nico," Aaron spoke up, standing up. Nico whirled around.

"Get away from me!" Nico screamed, pushing Aaron away, feeling a burst of energy rush through him, seeing red flash across his vision. When the red faded, Aaron was motionless on the floor, Chiron holding Nico's arms back. Nico tried to surge forward to cause Aaron as much pain as he had caused him, but Chiron's arms were like steel.

"Let me go!" Nico was panicked, trying to pull himself away. Another burst of dark energy ran through him. Chiron released his grip and Nico ran to the staircase. He stumbled up it, his clothes steaming with his expended energy. He felt his body being overcome with panic. He burst out of the front door and into the sunlight. He didn't have any place he was running to. Just away from the Big House. And Aaron. Thinking his name, sent another wave of panic through Nico.

He stumbled as he ran across the greens, to his cabin. When he got to his door, he flung it open. He stumbled to the bed, finally noticing the tears that had been streaming down his face. He wiped the tears away quickly. His world was ending. He couldn't breathe. His throat was closing up. He felt lightheaded. His hand was bleeding thoroughly.

As if on auto pilot, he began shoving clothes into a bag haphazardly. He grabbed his phone and his sword. He then reached for the shadows which whisked him into the darkness, far away from Camp Half-Blood.

* * *

He emerged, gasping. He collapsed onto the floor and tried to breathe. The panic had not disappeared. If anything it was worse. He let out a little whimper as he crumbled into himself. He felt his fingers dig into his palm, trying to remind himself that he was still there; to feel the physical pain as hard as he was feeling the emotional pain; to try to tear the feeling of the panic out of him.

Suddenly, a hand descended on him. He flinched away from it, curling in on himself.

"Please! Please don't hurt me! Please, Aaron, please!" He screamed, his voice cracking as his screams turned into sobs. He was back in the forest.

A cold touch on the forehead cut through the haziness of the memory. "Nico," a voice said. A voice that wasn't Aaron's. Nico unscrewed his eyes to see who was talking. It was his father, bending over him, looking extremely concerned.

"Papá," Nico slipped into Italian. "Mi aiuti per favore." He reached out for his father.

Hades grabbed Nico's arm. "What is it son? What do you need help with?"

"I need you to kill someone," Nico gasped out before he could stop it.

"Kill someone? Kill who?" Hades looked bewildered. In the back of his mind, Nico knew why. His father may be the god of the dead, but he didn't kill. Only took people when it was their time to die. Otherwise, he could not interfere in the world of mortals. But, the rational part of Nico's mind was gone, filled with fear, distrust, and hate.

"Aa-" Nico started before being overcome with another wave of panic. He whimpered loudly and couldn't stop the shaking that had taken over his system.

"Okay, okay, don't try to talk about it. What do you need?"

Nico thought back to an episode of Grey's Anatomy that he had watched with Will, where a character was having a panic attack. She asked the doctors to squeeze her tightly in a hug, to calm her parasympathetic system. But, this was his father. He felt awkward asking him, as they usually only hugged on birthday's and Christmas. But, Nico was desperate. And he wasn't going to be able to calm down on his own. And he felt like the world was caving in on him.

"Hold- hold me. Squeeze me." Nico gasped out.

"Um," his father sounded hesitant. "Um, okay."

Nico felt his father sit down. He pulled Nico into his arms and started squeezing. Nico focused on the pain of his father squeezing as well as the comfort he felt from being held by another person. The panic was still overwhelming, but it was starting to subside. He was safe. His father would protect him. He was away from Camp Half-Blood. The way Aaron would be able to get him from down here is if he died.

Nico felt a surge of guilt run through him. He had asked his father to kill Aaron. He might be terrified and angry at the kid, but he didn't want him dead. He thought back to Bryce Lawerence and Octavian. He had killed both of them.

He started shaking again. He dug his fingers further into his hands. As he condensed himself, his father squeezed him more tightly. He was a murderer. He had killed two people in cold-blood.

"I'm a murderer." He whispered.

"You are not." His father said back.

"Yes, I am!" Nico screamed. "I've killed people! I am a terrible person! I'm a monster!"

"Nico, you need to take deep breaths." His father calmly said, still squeezing him.

"Knock me out." He requested of his father. "Make me pass out."

"Nico," His father said warningly.

Another wave of panic. "Please!" He begged.

He heard his father sigh before he felt a cold touch on his forehead. He knew no more.

* * *

Will's POV:

He headed to Nico's cabin. He hadn't seen him all day and was incredibly stressed out. He had gone to go get instructions from Chiron, but neither him or Nico had been in the Big House. They had probably started searching themselves. Will had organized search parties to search camp again but to no avail. Ellis was missing. Night was falling so he called off the search.

Will knocked on the door and it opened on touch. Will looked at it suspiciously. He pushed it open. "Nico?"

The cabin was trashed. Will was filled with apprehension as he stepped into the room. The comforter had been thrown off the bed. Drawers were opened, clothes spilling out. He found a blood stain on the dresser. Fear shot through Will. He had been taken.

He was out of the door before his mind caught up with him. He sprinted to the Apollo cabin. He threw the door open. It hit the wall hard, making Kayla and Austin jump. Will skidded in front of Kayla, grabbing her arms.

"Will, what's wrong?"

"He's gone." It was bad enough losing his best friend; now he lost his boyfriend. "He's gone!"

"Who? Who is gone Will?"

"Nico! He's missing... I went to his cabin... and it was empty! Kayla, it was empty he's gone. Just like the other campers. He's gone."

Kayla looked distraught. "Oh no, Will. I'm so sorry."

"He's gone and it's my fault! I should have been with him. I should have been spending the day with him."

"We literally spent all day convincing Sherman that it wasn't his fault that Ellis was missing. It's not your fault. There is another factor at play here." Kayla explained.

Will hung his head. His tiredness has vanished, replaced with adrenaline. "Search parties... we need search parties. Now."

"We've has search parties, all day. We need to re-" Austin started.

"No, we need to look for Nico. I'm not abandoning him!" Will yelled at his brother.

Austin held his hands up defensively. "Okay okay, let's get search parties started."


	12. Chapter 12: Confusion

AN: Two chapters in one day WOW! I was feeling productive and just got done with four exams this week (which was awful) so I'm happy to be done with those exams. Here's the next chapter!

warnings: brief mentions of self-harm, panic attacks. Trigger warning! Please do not read if these themes upset you!

Disclaimer: All rights reserved to Rick Riordan. I own nothing, but the plot.

This story discusses themes of self-harm, anxiety, and depression. Trigger warning. Do not read if any of these things upset you. Trigger warning!

Criticism is appreciated, but please no hate. Please review and leave suggestions! Enjoy!

* * *

Will's POV:

He stumbled up the seventh cabin's steps. He collapsed onto them, his head in his hands. Kayla and Austin sat on either side of him. Sherman, who helped in the search, was standing in front of them.

'I can't believe he's gone. Everyone I care about is disappearing." Will mourned. "We have to find whoever is doing this. Before they take more people."

"We don't know that whatever took Cecil, also took Nico. We don't even know if it is a 'whoever'." Kayla explained

"Nico seemed to think it was a person or group. Someone, or something is taking people and now it took Nico."

Unnoticed by Will, Kayla and Austin shared a look. "Will, we aren't saying that Nico didn't get taken, but we should look at some other possibilities."

Will looked at Kayla. "What are you talking about?"

"The circumstances do not really fit any of the other disappearances. His room was trashed, no one else's was. His stuff was missing, everyone else's stuff was still there. He disappeared during the day. Everyone else disappeared during the night."

"Yeah? So?" Will could see her logic, but refused to accept it.

"Nico's been known to disappear at… difficult times." Austin said carefully. Will looked at his brother. "When things get tough…"

"Like when his boyfriend's brother and sister talk about him, and he overhears? That difficult time?' Will spat.

"He might have chosen to leave camp." Kayla suggested.

Will felt his heart sinking. In his heart, he knew she and Austin were correct. "He said he wouldn't leave."

Kayla looked at him with sympathy. "I know, but we have to entertain the possibility."

"That conversation happened weeks ago though." Will said.

"But, we were talking about it earlier today." Austin reminded.

Will's eyes widened. "Do you think he heard?"

Austin shrugged. "He's good at hiding in the shadows; he could have been listening."

"He was out of breath and looking anxious when he got to my cabin." Sherman offered.

The evidence pointed to Nico running, but he said he wouldn't.

A rustling from the nearby woods set the demigods into motion. Kayla drew her bow, Austin his sword, and Will a knife. Chiron came galloping out of the woods. Will let his arm fall in relief.

"Chiron, thank the gods. Nico's…"

"Missing, yes, I am aware." Chiron finished. "I've been searching for him all night."

"Do you know what happened? You were with him last. Unless he never made it to you…" Will trailed off.

"Why was he looking for me?" Chiron looked confused.

"To report that Ellis was missing as well." Will said absently. He was more focused on another matter. "You never saw him?"

"I- it's hard to explain, Mr. Solace." Chiron fumbles over his words.

Will knitted his eyebrows. He had never known Chiron to stumbled over his words. Something was wrong. "Then simplify it. You know something."

"I-" the centaur started before a flash appeared right in front of him. Will leapt back. The centaur was now holding a slightly burned piece of paper. His eyes widened as he read it. "I've been summoned."

A black cloud of smoke enveloped Chiron.

"No!" Will shouted, lunging forward to try and grab his mentor, but he closed his hand on the curling smoke.

"What the Hades was that?" Sherman asked, looking shocked at the spot where Chiron had disappeared. "We have lost campers and now our director!"

Will shook his head. "He's not gone. You heard him; he's been summoned."

"By who?" Sherman asked.

Will looked to Austin. "Austin, I'm assuming you recognized it as well."

Austin nodded. "Yeah, that was the smoke Hades appeared in when he brought Nico to camp once. Chiron was summoned to the Underworld."

Realization dawned on Kayla's face. "And if he was summoned by Hades..."

"Nico ran." Will finished. "And it has something to do with Chiron."

* * *

Nico's POV:

He blinked his eyes open. He was in his bed, in his room, in the Underworld. He vaguely remembered his father, but it was very fuzzy. He looked to the side to find his father in a chair, looking at him. He looked relieved to see Nico awake.

"Good, you're awake."

"What happened?" Nico asked holding his head. He couldn't remember exactly, but he felt relatively calm. He didn't think he was when he first arrived.

"You asked me to knock you out yesterday, so I did. I also obtained a sleeping draught and calming solution to help you relax." Hades explained.

That explained the exhaustion. "From who?"

Hades shook his head. "Irrelevant. Now, what happened yesterday? Why were you in such a panic?"

His mind cleared a little bit. "Aaron."

"Aaron who?" Hades looked confused. "I thought your boyfriend's name was Will."

"My boyfriend's name is Will." Nico found the manner sickly ironic. His father thought the boy who had almost killed him to be his boyfriend. Talk about being bad together. "I'm talking about Aaron Stevenson. The kid who beat me up. Who almost killed me."

His father visibly tensed. "I thought he had been banished from camp."

"I did too. But when I went to go find Chiron to inform him that Ellis was missing and Sherman didn't have any other information, I found him in the basement, taking care of Aaron. He's still at camp. Chiron and Mr. D have been housing him since the trial." Nico explained. His eyes felt heavy. The calming and sleeping draught must have been working overtime to relax him.

Rage ignited in his father eyes. His hands started crackling with the same dark energy that Nico's usually did when he was upset. "Is that the case?"

"No idea why he's still here. He should have been kicked out."

His father stood quickly, his chair falling over. He swept towards the door. "Where are you going?" Nico asked, falling back onto his pillows.

"To take care of business." The door slammed behind him, a picture frame falling off his desk and shattering to the floor.

 _That's not right_ Nico thought. He threw off the covers and stumbled over to the picture frame. He picked up the actual frame, looking at the picture. It was an old photo of him, Bianca, and his mother. He traced over them, accidentally catching his finger on the glass. The pain brought him to reality, cutting through the fogginess of the sleeping draught.

The panic returned. Aaron was still at Camp. Nico dropped the frame, falling to his knees into the shattered glass on the floor. He grabbed one of the shattered and held onto it tightly, trying to ground himself. He was safe here. His father would protect him.

His father. Nico felt himself heat up with shame. He had embarrassed himself in front of his father last night. He had asked his father to hug him during his panic attack.

"Pathetic." He whispered under his breath. "Stupid!" He picked up the glass that now had his blood on it and threw it across the room. It hit the wall hard and shattered into even more pieces. "Weak!" He screamed. He grabbed the lamp on the bedside table. He also threw that across the room. It crashed against the wall.

Nico held himself up using his bed, his blood soaking into the sheets. He stayed like that for a little bit before realizing that he needed to leave. He couldn't face his father again. He grabbed his backpack, put his phone in his pocket, and attached his sword to his hip.

He opened his door and was immediately exposed to his father screaming at someone. Curious, he walked cat-like down the hallway, not making a sound. The voices were issuing from the throne room.

"YOU CLAIMED YOU WERE GOING TO BANISH THAT BOY FROM YOUR CAMP AND MY SON REPORTS TO ME THAT HE IS STILL THERE?" The god of the Underworld screamed.

Nico arrived at the door and peeked inside. His father was yelling at Chiron. "Allow to explain, Your High-"

"NOT ONLY ARE YOU PUTTING MY SON IN DANGER, YOU ARE ALSO PUTTING THE REST OF THOSE DEMIGODS IN DANGER AS WELL AS DESTROYING MY SON'S MENTAL HEALTH."

"That was not my intention, and I have been searching all night for your son to make sure he is okay. Is he here?" Chiron asked.

Nico's phone vibrated, causing him to jump. It hadn't gotten a call in so long, with communications being faulty. He looked at the caller-id. It wasn't a number he recognized. But, few people had access to his number, so it had to be someone important. He crept past the throne room missing the rest of the fight. He walked out the front doors of the palace.

"Hello?" He answered.

"Hi, Nico?" It was Annabeth. Her voice was cracking.

"Annabeth, are you alright?" He asked, suddenly concerned. Why was she calling? Why did it sound like she had been crying? Percy said she had left for Boston for a family emergency, but what had happened?

"I- I'm fine. Look, this is going to sound really stupid, but I need your help with something."

"Of course, what do you need?"

She took in a breath. "Okay, so I have family in Boston. One of my family members had- disappeared a while ago, so my dad and I are looking for him. We- we think we found him, but- he's-"

"Dead?" A sinking feeling came over Nico. That's why she was calling.

"I know how to tell if someone is dead, but there's something weird about it. It's- my family has a lot of godly blood- I just don't know if he's actually dead, but I was asking- I was asking if you could check." She requested.

"Yes, I can do that for you Annabeth. I can come and check myself. Where are you?" Nico asked, looking around for shadows.

She rattled off an address in Boston.

"Okay, I can find that. I'll be there soon, okay?"

"Thank you Nico. I really appreciate this." She hung up the phone.

Nico looked around. He whistled loudly. The ground started shaking, and suddenly, a giant dog jumped out of a crack in the ground. She woofed loudly before tackling Nico.

"Yes, hello Mrs. O'Leary. Calm down, calm down." He managed to stand, patting the hellhound as he got up. "Yes, I need you to take me to Boston."

The hellhound became still as Nico relayed the address to him. He swung his leg over her body. She sniffed the air before leaping without warning. She melted into the trees and before Nico knew it, he was standing in a park in Boston.


	13. Chapter 13: Boston

AN: hey y'all! Finals are coming up and I'm super sick so I have this chapter and I will post my next chapter later today! Thanks for your patience!

Disclaimer: All rights reserved to Rick Riordan. I own nothing, but the plot.

This story discusses themes of self-harm, anxiety, and depression. Trigger warning. Do not read if any of these things upset you. Trigger warning!

Criticism is appreciated, but please no hate. Please review and leave suggestions! Enjoy!

* * *

Nico's POV

He slid off Mrs. O'Leary, landing in the park that Annabeth had told him to go to. Mrs. O'Leary flopped onto the ground to take a snooze. Nico looked around for the blonde daughter of Athena. He spotted her, standing up from a bench. He made his way over to her.

"Annabeth." He said when she got within earshot.

"Nico," she wrapped him in a hug. Nico flinched back but allowed her to hug him. He wrapped his arms around her and squeezed quickly, before releasing. She pulled back. Nico could see the unshed tears threatening her eyes. "Thank you so much for coming."

"Of course." Nico was about to shove his hands into his pockets when Annabeth grabbed his wrist.

"Why are your hands bleeding?" Nico looked down to his hands. He had been in such a rush to get away and have been distracted by Annabeth's call that he forgot to wrap them up.

"Sparring before I came here." Nico lied, shoving his hands into his pockets. "Wanted to get here as soon as possible so I forgot to heal them up."

"Will isn't going to be very happy when he sees those." Annabeth reprimanded.

Nico shrugged, feeling a twinge of guilt. He had run from camp so quickly that he hadn't told Will where he was going. He knew that he would not be returning to camp any time soon. "It'll be fine."

Annabeth's eyes narrowed. "Something's wrong."

"It's okay Annabeth-"

"Don't lie." Annabeth asked.

Nico sighed. "Look, I will explain later. Let's go see what we can find out about your relative first, okay?"

"I'm holding you to that." Annabeth dropped the subject.

"I don't doubt you. Now, tell me what you know about this relative." Nico started walking with Annabeth as she led the way to wherever they were heading to.

"It's my cousin. His name is... was Magnus. Magnus Chase. We used to be really close when we were younger but his mother, my father, and our uncle all had a falling out. So we didn't talk to that side of the family in forever. Recently, our uncle Randolph reached out to my dad. He told us about Magnus and how he had been missing for years." Annabeth was winding her way through the streets of Boston. "My dad and I came as soon as possible and we've been here for a week or so, handing out flyers and trying to find Magnus. There was a, what the news is calling terrorist attack, on a bridge and Magnus' body was found."

"What the news is calling?" Nico asked. "You don't think it was an attack."

Annabeth shook her head. "I have a feeling there was some godly interference. That's why I called you. Because if I have godly blood on my side, there is a chance that he has it too. The Chase Family attract a lot of gods."

Nico nodded. "Good call."

"I was worried that I wouldn't get a hold of you. Communications have been incredibly unreliable." Annabeth voiced her concern.

"At camp too." Nico provided. "No idea why."

They stopped at a funeral home. A sign read _Twinning & Sons Memorial Services_. A display by the door listed upcoming viewings. Magnus Chase, at ten am, was at the top. "This is where they are keeping his body before the funeral this afternoon."

Annabeth gulped loudly, her eyes closed. "You don't have to do this Annabeth. I can go in by myself."

She opened her eyes. "No, I have to do this. This is my family, my cousin."

Nico nodded, understanding. "Then let's do it."

He put his hand on the knob, expecting the door to be locked, but it gave no resistance. It opened without a problem. He cocked his head at that, but continued into the funeral home, hand on the hilt of his sword. The inside smelled of dead flowers and mold. Nico felt the aura of death increase tenfold in this place. The floor was dark red with dark wood walls, compressing the two demigods. Annabeth took the lead down the hallway, peeking into the first room.

"Magnus?" Annabeth's voice was broken as she spoke.

Nico came up behind her to see inside the room. It was a set up like a chapel: three stained glass windows on the back wall, rows of folding chairs facing an open coffin on a dais. A person was standing in front of the dais. He had looked around quickly when Annabeth had spoken. At the entrance of the room was a poster-size portrait of a younger version of the guy standing in front of the coffin, wreathed in black crepe paper. Next to it, on a small table, was a guest book.

Annabeth looked from her cousin to the coffin, which contained… her cousin. The body in the coffin and the guy standing outside it, was the same person. Nico's eyes squinted in confusion. He had never seen anything like this before.

"I knew it!" Annabeth said. "I knew you weren't dead!" She lunged forward, tackling Magnus in a hug. Nico took that as a sign to move. He walked past the reunited family members to examine the body.

"Yeah… um…" Magnus said, pulling himself from the hug. "It's really good to see you." He looked at Nico. "Who is this? Your boyfriend?"

Nico laughed. "That's funny." He muttered as he continued looking at the body. It was a real body. And it had an uncanny resemblance to Magnus.

"That's Nico. I asked him to come to… support me." She wrinkled her nose at the corpse that Nico was looking at. "Are you going to make me ask? I thought you were dead, you butt."

"Hard to explain." Magnus smiled.

"I'll say," Nico interjected, lifting his head from the body to look at Magnus. "This is a real body and it looks exactly like you. Why is that?"

Magnus didn't answer.

"Isn't the body fake Magnus? You are trying to convince everyone you are dead?" Annabeth asked.

"He's not trying to convince people." Nico supplied. He grabbed Magnus's arm. There. He detected the trace aura of death. It felt like the same one that surrounded people who chose rebirth from the Underworld to try for Elysium. "He is dead. Or was. He did die. That is his body."

Magnus pulled his arm away. "How… how on earth… how would you know that?"

Nico smiled creepily. "I have a nose for death. And you are dead."

"Then how is he moving around?" Annabeth asked. "Dead people don't walk around. And if they do, they are only spirits." Nico considered this. If Magnus was a spirit, he should be able to control him. He withdrew his sword. "Nico, what are you doing?!"

Nico held up his hand to stop Annabeth's question. "As the Ghost King, I order you , Magnus Chase, to jump up and down."

Magnus looked at him quizzically, and then to Annabeth. "Ghost King? Is this guy for real? Wait…did you guys pass an e… a guy on the way in? My friend was supposed to be keeping watch."

"No. No one was out there. The front door was unlocked." Annabeth informed.

"I should check-" Magnus started moving towards the door.

"Whoa, not until I get some answers." Annabeth said, putting her hand on Magnus's chest to stop him.

"I—Honestly, I don't know where to start. I'm in kind of a dangerous situation. I don't want to get you involved." Magnus stumbled.

"Too late." She crossed her arms. "And I know a lot about dangerous situations."

"Randolph almost got killed on that bridge," Magnus said. "I don't want anything to happen to you."

She laughed without humor. "Randolph—I swear, I'm going to shove that cane of his…Never mind. He wouldn't explain why he took you to the bridge. He kept talking about how you were in danger because of your birthday. He said he was trying to help. Something about our family history—"

"He told me about my father."

Annabeth's eyes darkened. "You never knew your dad."

"Yeah. But apparently…" Magnus shook my head. "Look, it would sound crazy. Just…there's a connection between what happened on the bridge and what happened to my mom two years ago, and—and who my father is."

"Magnus…oh, gods." She had been right. Magnus was a demigod. But, that still didn't explain why he had the aura of death.

She paced in front of the coffin, her hands tented like she was praying. Nico watched her walk. "I should've known. Randolph kept rambling about how our family was special, how we attracted attention. But I had no idea you…" She froze, then grabbed his shoulders. "I'm so sorry I didn't know sooner. I could've helped you."

"Um, I'm not sure—"

"My dad's flying back to California tonight after the funeral," she continued. "I was going to catch the train for New York, but school can wait. I _get_ it now. I can help you. I know a place where you'll be safe."

Suddenly, a commotion at the doorway caused all three of them to turn to the door. Nico drew his sword. It was a small man, his left eye swollen shut. He started gesturing rapidly. Magnus was fixed on him, trying to make sense of the gestures. Nico slowly replaced his sword.

"Who-" Annabeth asked.

"That's my friend," Magnus informed. "I really have to go. Listen, Annabeth…" He took her hands. "I have to do this by myself. It's like…like a personal—"

"Quest?"

"I was going to say pain in the—yeah, _quest_ works. If you really want to help me, please, just pretend you didn't see me. Later, after I'm done, I'll find you. I'll explain everything, I promise. Right now, I have to go."

She took a shaky breath. "Magnus, I probably _could_ help. But…" She reached into her coat pocket and pulled out a folded piece of paper. "Recently I learned the hard way that sometimes I have to step back and let other people do their own quests, even people I care about. At least take this."

Magnus unfolded the piece of paper. Nico saw that it was one of the flyers Annabeth had been handing out.

"The second number is my phone. Call me. Let me know when you're okay, or if you change your mind and—"

"I'll call." Magnus kissed her cheek. "You're the best."

She sighed. "You're still a butt."

"I know. Thanks. Bye."

Magnus and his friend fled from the funeral home. Nico looked to Annabeth, who watched them go, looking distressed. She eventually realized herself and looked at Nico.

"What the Hades was that?" Nico asked.

Annabeth shrugged. "I have absolutely no idea."

"You were right." Nico pointed out. Annabeth looked confused. "He did have some sort of godly blood."

"Greek blood? Or Roman?" She asked.

"I don't think either. I would say that it was like he had been reborn from the Underworld, but he would have gotten another body. Not kept the same one. I don't think he is Greek."

"You think he's actually dead?"

Nico nodded. "I'm 90% sure. That is his body. And he had an aura of death surrounding him."

"Then how is he up and moving?" Nico shrugged.

"No idea. I'm surprised you let him go."

Annabeth nodded. "I am too. I really wanted to help him, but I think he needed to handle it on his own."

"What are you going to do now?" Nico asked.

"Go find my dad and go to the funeral service. Magnus is pretending to be dead for some reason, so I will play along."

"Are you going to tell your dad? Or your uncle?"

Annabeth considered this. "Definitely not Randolph. You saw how Magnus reacted. And no, I'm probably not going to tell my dad either."

"Yeah, I understand that."

The two demigods fell silent. Nico indicated towards the door. Annabeth nodded and they walked out of the funeral home.

Annabeth broke it. "So, why don't you tell me what's going on? Because I can tell that something is bothering you."

Nico thought about what to tell her. He didn't think telling her about the disappearances would be helpful. It would just put more stress on her on top of all of her family drama. She had also been in charge of the investigation into Aaron, so Nico didn't want her to know that he hadn't been sent away from camp.

"Nico?" Nico blinked, looking at Annabeth. He had zoned out.

"Yeah, sorry. Nothing particular is happening."

"That's a lie." She said.

Before Nico could respond, a dark cloud appeared above the two demigods. A figured appeared as the smoke dissipated.

"Alecto!" Nico yelled, recognizing the Fury. "Dad said his guard dog after me, now did he?"

"If you could just stay put when your father asks you to, I wouldn't have to play babysitter." Alecto spat back. "I have much more useful things to be doing that fetching your father's property."

"So you recognize that you are his pet?" Nico joked. "Glad you finally realized your place."

"Hang on, Nico, I thought you said that you were at Camp when I called you." Annabeth asked, looking confused.

Nico looked at her. "I stretched the truth. I was in my father's palace."

"Why not at camp?"

"My father summoned me. So I went. Haven't been at Camp in a while. And now, apparently my father requires my presence." Nico said, looking at the Fury.

"You have some serious explaining to do." Annabeth said, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Yes, he does." Alecto said. "Lying to his friends. Tut tut."

"No one asked for your opinion Alecto. And I will give you an explanation Annabeth." Nico reassured.

"But, not right now. Your father has sent me to retrieve you." Alecto repeated.

"And what if I say no? That I will not go?"

"So be it." Alecto snapped her fingers. Nico was enveloped in a cloud of smoke.


	14. Chapter 14: Compromise

_AN: Had to edit this chapter because I wrote Thanos instead of Thanatos because I have Marvel on the brain_

 _Disclaimer: All rights reserved to Rick Riordan. I own nothing, but the plot._

 _This story discusses themes of self-harm, anxiety, and depression. Trigger warning. Do not read if any of these things upset you. Trigger warning!_

 _Criticism is appreciated, but please no hate. Please review and leave suggestions! Enjoy!_

* * *

Will's POV:

He was pacing. Why had Hades summoned Chiron? What had Nico run from? Because Austin and Will had been talking about him? He felt like Nico would have confronted him had he heard. And why had he run in the middle of these disappearances? What had happened on his way to Chiron that made him run? Unless Chiron had seen him. He must have because he knew that he was missing. What was Chiron hiding?

"Will!" He heard his sister's voice call out to him. He looked at her.

"What?"

"We've been calling your name for five minutes." She informed. "What are you thinking?"

"I'm just trying to run through possibilities and explanations for what happened. Something that Chiron did made Nico run." Will explained.

"But Chiron said he didn't see Nico." Austin provided.

"Then how did he know he was missing? Why was he looking for him all night if he didn't know he was gone? We didn't even know for half the day." Will expounded.

"So you think Chiron was lying?" Sherman asked. "What reason would he have for doing that?"

"No idea, but that's what we are going to find out." Will asserted.

"What are you suggesting?" Kayla looked wary of her brother

"We are going to go find out what Chiron's hiding." Will started heading towards the Big House.

"If you are suggesting what I think you are suggesting, that's an extreme invasion of privacy, Will." Kayla hurried after him.

"I'm aware. But, he did something that warranted an audience with the Lord of the Underworld? When Olympus isn't in contact with us at all?" Will pointed out.

"Are you sure about this?"

Will stopped to look at his sister. "I need to know why Nico ran. I need to know what upset him so much to run."

* * *

Nico's POV:

He appeared in a cloud of black smoke in the throne room. When the smoke cleared, he saw his father looking concerned at him.

"Do you mind? I was in the middle of something important!" Nico said. His father ignored his statement, walking up to him, and grabbing his arms. "What are you doing?"

"We walked into your room and saw shattered glass and blood on the floor. We were concerned that you had hurt yourself." His father explained. He held up Nico's hands.

"Which, apparently, you have."

Nico tried to pull his hands away, but his father held a tight grip, causing the wound the reopen. "Who is we?" The clicking of hooves on the marble floor gave the answer away. Nico felt his heart rate increase and tried not to panic. "Why is he still here?"

"Because I was concerned for your well-being…"

"Had you really been concerned with my well-being, you wouldn't have let that monster continue to reside within our camp." Nico interrupted. He felt the panic building up, especially with his father continuing to hold his arms. "Can you let me go? Now?!"

"We need to heal these wounds first." His father was relentless. "Chiron, if you wouldn't mind."

"No!" Nico yelled, energy expelling from him into his father, breaking the grip. Nico rubbed his wrists, backing away from his father. "He is not allowed anywhere near me!"

"I understand your fear…"

"No, you don't, father!" Nico screamed. "You don't understand. You may be a god, you may be super-human, but you are not mortal. You may have experienced fear and fear greater than I have, but your godly brain has the capacity to deal with such terrors. You do not feel emotions in the same way that I do. My mind was compromised by Tartarus. I did not have the capacity to deal with the terrors that I saw. I was shattered and as I was trying to build myself back up, this- this- this bully decided to ruin that for me and almost kill me. So no, do not try to pretend that you understand my fear, because you don't understand and you will never understand."

"Chiron had his reasons for keeping Aaron at camp…" his father tried.

"I don't care; I do not want to hear them. It does not matter to me. He let Aaron continue living at Camp, even though he claimed that he was going to be kicked out of camp. He did not follow up on his promise. That's all that matters." Nico said with certainty.

"He is here to apologize. He spent all time looking for you to make sure you were okay."

"He could have made sure I was okay by not allowing Aaron to stay at Camp," Nico retorted.

"Nico, please, listen. Just hear him out and then you can go on being angry." Hades begged his son.

Nico decided to entertain his father's wishes. He realized that if he kept refusing, his

father wouldn't let him leave. He crossed his arms over his chest and nodded for Chiron to go on.

"After the trial, I was fully prepared to send Mr. Stevenson away, just as we did with Miss Tanaka, but Dionysus intervened…"

"Blaming it on your boss, nice." Nico interrupted. Chiron waited. Nico nodded. "You can continue."

"Dionysus took the information provided by Miss Tanaka and Mr. Stevenson, as well as his siblings. He believed that Mr. Stevenson acted extremely out of character. He believed that he was being manipulated." Chiron explained.

"Manipulated by his homophobic beliefs, yeah."

"Nico, listen!" His father admonished. Nico stopped, and Chiron went on.

"There was some godly interference. Mr. Stevenson was being manipulated. His mind had been compromised." Chiron revealed.

"Manipulated by who?" Nico questioned.

"Dionysus was called back to Olympus before he could delve deeper into his mind. He was called back to Olympus, but gave no instructions on how to handle the son of Ares." Chiron informed.

"So you decided just to keep a camper who attempted to murder me in the basement without informing me? Or anyone at camp, much less?" Nico asked, venom filling his voice.

"He was manipulated…"

"That doesn't matter! You should have told me, and yet you didn't. I deserved to know about the status of my attacker. And you should have included my father, who was indeed a member of the sentencing board, in the decision to keep him at camp." Nico advocated for himself.

"I promise that you are in no danger with him there." Chiron reassured. But, Nico knew better. He had been incapacitated for months because of this kid.

"You don't know what he is capable of."

"Actually, I do. His mind is completely compromised. Dionysus was working on reconfiguring it when he was called to Olympus."

"He seemed perfectly clear in the head when I talked to and confronted him." Nico pointed out. "Why did you even come here Chiron?"

"To explain what had happened and to ask you to return to camp. We need your leadership more than ever with these disappearances. And Mr. Solace is freaking out about where you are right now. I wouldn't be surprised if he had torn up the camp looking for you by this point."

"You are asking me to come back to camp? Are you serious?" Nico was incredulous.

Chiron didn't laugh. Hades spoke up. "You did say you would stay at Camp until the disappearances stopped or the demigods who are missing returned."

"The circumstances have changed!" Nico said, waving his arms. "There is a monster living in the basement."

"He is incapacitated."

"He incapacitated me for months. I do not want to return to camp. And I will especially not return to camp while he is there."

"Where would he go instead?" Chiron questioned. "He is in my care and under my direction. I cannot abandoned him."

"Abandon him? He's a monster! You have abandoned me!" Nico lamented. "Who can I depend on if I can't even count on the person who is supposed to protect me at camp? Who is supposed to make sure I'm safe?"

"You are safe..."

"No. I will not return to camp until he is gone. You can do whatever you want with him, but he's gone from camp. When I leave camp after we solve these disappearances, you can bring him back. But I will not be at camp with him there. Those are my terms. Him or me." Nico thought that this sounded very much like a break-up, but Nico didn't care.

Chiron looked distressed. "Okay, I will find a new place for Mr. Stevenson. Will you return to camp?"

"Yes, but only for Will to help him. Only to try and find the missing demigods. Camp might not be safe for me but it is for other campers." Nico said. "Get rid of him."

"I have one request of you." Chiron said carefully.

"And what would you like?"

"Please, do not inform the other campers, especially Mr. Solace."

Nico laughed at the request. "Oh, so you want me to cover up your fuck up? You want me to protect you?"

"Please, Mr. di Angelo."

Nico rolled his eyes. "I wasn't planning on telling anyone anyways. I don't need the pity and sympathy I got from everyone to come back. I don't want to be viewed as weak anymore. I'm trying to erase Aaron Stevenson from my life."

"Thank you, Mr. di Angelo." Chiron inclines his head to the son of Hades. "Will you be returning with me to camp now?"

Nico shook his head. "I will come back when Aaron is gone and not a moment before that."

"Understood. You can return within the hour then. It will not take long for me to remove Mr. Stevenson from camp." Chiron explained.

"See you in an hour then." Nico gave his farewell. He looked at his father, who snapped his fingers. Chiron disappeared in a cloud of smoke. Nico allowed his facade to drop.

He collapsed in on himself, onto his knees. He was exhausted playing the charade that he was okay. Because he really wasn't.

"Son?" His father asked.

"I'm exha,sted." Nico admitted. "I need a nap."

"Before you go sleep, where did you disappear to this morning?"

Nico waved his hand at the question. "My friend needed help determining if her cousin

was dead or not."

Hades smiled. "She couldn't figure that out herself?"

"The circumstances were strange." Nico said shortly.

"So was he? Was he dead?" Hades asked.

"Kinda. His body was dead, but his soul was alive. He had another body, identical to the first. It's like he was straight out of the Field of Asphodel. Any thoughts on that?"

The lord of the Underworld started stroking his chin. "Hmm. An escaped soul?"

Nico shook his head. "No. I tried to command him using my powers as the Ghost King, but nothing. He had the aura of death but he was alive."

"What's his name?"

"Magnus Chase."

Hades nodded. "I will look into it. Talk to Thanatos."

Nico nodded absently. "That would be appreciated. Now, I'm going to go nap."

* * *

Will's POV:

They had started at the top of the Big House and worked down. So far, they had found nothing but Chiron's extensive music collection. He and Kayla walked down to the first floor.

"We've checked everywhere but the basement." Kayla informed.

Will nodded. "Then I guess we will head there next." He lead the way to the door that opened to the stairs of the basement. When he arrived, he turned the handle. "It's locked."

"Let me at it." Kayla said, taking a bobby pin from her hair. She started to try to pick the lock.

"Where did you learn to do that?" She shrugged.

"When you leave to visit your mom, I have to find something to do with my time. Even if that means hanging out with Connor Stoll."

"It's locked. That means whatever Chiron is hiding is down here."

"If he is hiding anything," Kayla pointed out.

After a few more minutes, Kayla made no progress. "I think this is sealed with magic."

"We should get Lou Ellen then." Will suggested, turning to leave the Big House.

The front door opening stopped Will in his tracks. Chiron wheeled into the Big House. He stopped and looked at Kayla, with her bobby pin still jammed in the lock and Will walking toward him. "What are you two doing?"

"Looking in the basement to find clues as to why you disappeared," Will admitted. "But it appears to be locked with magic."

"Yes, because there are dangerous things down there that I do not want campers getting mixed up in." Chiron explained.

"Like what?"

"At any rate, you aren't supposed to be down there anyway." Chiron admonished.

"Well I decided to go anyways because both my mentor and boyfriend disappeared without any indication to where they went. Especially since the last person Nico saw was you. How was your trip to the Underworld?"

"I- I didn't go to the Underworld." Chiron was lying.

"Then why stutter?"

"Because why in Hera's name would I be summoned there? Hades has no business with me, and the gods have cut of contact. You know that as well as I do." Chiron explained.

"That cloud of smoke you disappeared in was Hades' signature. I have seen it before. So don't try to lie. Why were you summoned?" Will interrogated.

"I do not have to explain myself to you, Mr. Solace. At any rate, in my time away from camp, I located Mr. di Angelo. He will be returning very soon."

Will's heart quickened. "You've seen Nico? Where?"

"I'm sure he will inform you when he returns. Now, if you excuse me, I have some business to attend to. Please go about your daily business." Chiron requested. He wheeled past Will and Kayla. Will watched him go.

"I can see your mind working in overtime," Kayla said. "What are you thinking?"

"He was in the Underworld and Nico was there too." Will deduced. "Why is he lying? What did he do that was so bad that Hades was involved?"

"Can't you wait for Nico to tell you? When he comes back?" Kayla asked

"We don't know when and if he is actually coming back. And even if he does, if it's that bad that Hades got involved, he probably won't tell us what happened. So, we need to take matters into our own hands."

"What are you saying?"

Will looked at his sister. "We need to get into that basement. Tonight."


	15. Chapter 15: The Room Where it Happened

Disclaimer: All rights reserved to Rick Riordan. I own nothing, but the plot.

This story discusses themes of self-harm, anxiety, and depression. Trigger warning. Do not read if any of these things upset you. Trigger warning!

Criticism is appreciated, but please no hate. Please review and leave suggestions! Enjoy!

* * *

Will's POV:

The alarm on his phone went off at 1am. He quickly shut it off in order not to wake up any of his remaining siblings. Many campers had been called back to their mortal relatives when news of the disappearances broke. He slid off his bed and looked at Kayla's bunk. She was staring back at him. Austin was also awake. Will and Kayla had enlisted him in their plan for the night. Lou Ellen was supposed to meet them outside the Big House.

Nico still had not made an appearance, as Will had expected. So they planned to break into the basement.

The Apollo siblings all donned black clothing to hide from the Harpies and the patrols. With all the disappearances, Chiron had set up three person patrols of senior campers to make sure no one else disappeared.

As soon as they were dressed, they quietly grabbed weapons. Will opened the front door of their cabin. As soon as Austin closed the door, Kayla turned to Will. "Are you sure about this? Chiron said it was dangerous down there."

"And it might be why Nico disappeared so yes, I do need to know Kayla." Will explained. "You do not have to come if you don't want to."

"Where you go, I go, Will. You are my person." Kayla quoted Will's favorite show at him.

Will smiled. "Thank you sis." He looked at Austin, who looked like he was about to compose a song about sibling love. "You still in, Austin?"

"I personally thought that you were my person, Kayla, but I guess I will get over it." Austin brushed away a fake tear.

"Well I'm not WIll's person, that's for sure." Kayla responded.

Will spluttered. "Wait, what? That's not fair. I have never said that!"

Kayla patted Will on the shoulder. "It's okay. I understand. Not mad, just disappointed."

Will rolled his eyes, realizing she was joking. "Yeah okay Kayla, you brat."

"I personally thought I was your person." Lou Ellen appeared, shimmering, on the grass in front of the Apollo cabin.

The three Apollo siblings jumped. Austin letting out a strangled gasp, Kayla drawing her bow, Will grabbing his chest, his heart dropping.

"Holy Zeus, Lou Ellen, you scared the schist out of us!" Will gasped out. "What in Hades were you thinking? This is a stealth mission!"

"What is schist?" Lou Ellen pondered, stroking her chin with her hand.

"Excuse me?" Will asked.

"What is schist? Is it just a euphemism for shit?" She asked

"No, it's a rock." Kayla informed.

"Then why does Will use it as a euphemism?" Lou Ellen pressed. "Where did it come from?"

"It came from Frank and Hazel… how is this relevant?" Will asked.

"It's not. Just keeping us here until the patrols pass." Lou Ellen informed.

Will, Kayla and Austin all knelt down on the porch, looking around, panicked. Lou Ellen started laughing. "Not here. They are at the Big House. That's why I came over."

Will, Austin, and Kayla stood slowly. "Do you have any concept of keeping quiet, Lou Ellen?" Kayla asked.

"I can be quiet when I need to be. Everyone is asleep, and the patrols are pretty far away, so we're fine. I'll be super, secret quiet when we get inside." Lou Ellen promised. "Now, c'mon friends. Let's go break and enter."

"We will not be breaking anything." Will admonished.

"It's an expression! C'mon, you guys need to lighten up. Let's go!"

The foursome started the walk across the greens. Lou Ellen was looking around to make sure no one was coming. Kayla had her bow drawn and was covering the back.

Lou Ellen leaned back to whisper to Will. "We would make an excellent group for a quest."

"But, there are four of us. Quests usually consist of three people."

"But, the Seven of the Prophecy had seven." Lou Ellen complained.

"Well, we aren't the magical seven." Will joked.

"I have magic. Only Hazel has magic. And you have healing powers." Lou Ellen pointed out.

Will rolled his eyes. "Shut up Lou Ellen. Focus on what we are doing."

"You are seriously no fun. We have barely talked all winter. And then you come to me, begging for my help, in a rule-breaking event."

"Oh please, you love rule-breaking." Will scoffed.

"This is indeed a true fact." Lou Ellen admitted. She turned back to the space ahead, her footsteps not making a sound. The three siblings followed closely behind. They eventually arrived at the Big House. Lou Ellen carefully stepped into the porch, avoiding the creaky wood. The other three followed in her tracks.

She waved her hands at the door before grabbing the handle, opening the door. The usual squeak that accompanied the door when it opened had been muffled. She held the door open for them.

Will headed straight towards the basement door. He examined the door when he arrived. It was open. The door had sustained damage. The handle was crushed, as if a giant had squeezed it. The lock had sword marks in it. The door was barely hanging on its hinge. Will knelt down, tracing the sword marks.

"What the Hades happened?" Kayla asked, whispering.

Will held up his hand. He heard footsteps and crashes from below. He felt fear go through him. "We are about to find out."

He drew a knife from his back pocket, and quietly lead the way down the staircase. He carefully stepped on each stair, testing how much noise it made. He stepped on a stair that let out a huge CREAK. Will winced, stopping in his tracks. The footsteps in the basement got faster as it sought cover. Will ran the rest of the way down the stairs, Kayla, Austin, and Lou Ellen following closely behind. They form a tight group, all looking in different directions.

Will looked around but couldn't see anything. He nodded to Lou Ellen. She found the light switch on the wall. She switched it on. Light flooded into the room. A figure in black was in the corner. It started moving towards them, but Kayla was too fast. She drew and let two arrow fly. One pinned the figure by its clothing to the wall. The other pierced its arm.

"What the fuck?" A familiar voice sounded out in pain.

Will recognized the voice, knocking Kayla's bow out of her hand. "Nico!" He screamed. He ran over to the now visible Nico, who was holding his arm in pain.

"What the fuck, Kayla?" Nico gasped in pain. "I know you didn't like me, but this is excessive."

Kayla put her hands over her mouth. "Oh my gods, Nico."

Will pulled the arrow that was pinning Nico to the wall out. Once it was removed, Nico slid slowly to the ground. Will caught him before he hit the ground.

"Are you okay? Where the hell have you been?"

"I have a fucking arrow sticking out of my arm, how do you think I feel?" Nico spat at Will. Will could feel how weak Nico felt. He had just shadow travelled so his energy was already low.

"We can fix it, it is going to be okay."

"What the Hera is going on here?" A new voice thundered. It was Chiron, his tail in curlers.

"Oh lovely, my sleeping spell wore off him." Nico said sarcastically. "Hey traitor, I'm back."

"Nico, what the hell? You are aware who you are talking to, right?" Will was shocked that Nico sounded so angry.

"It's okay, leave him be. He is in pain." Chiron excused. He nodded back to Nico. "And he appears to be passing out."

Will looked back down at Nico. His eyes were rolling into the back of his head.

"Nico!" Will said forcefully, but the son of Hades was already out. "I need to get him to the infirmary now."

He gathered the son of Hades in his arms and stood up. "Make sure you do. After you are done, we have things to discuss. Like your failure to listen to direct orders."

"Considering whatever was done here caused Nico to shadow travel and cut his hands open, I don't think my failure really matters." Will retorted, finally seeing the slowly healing cuts on Nico's hands and wrists. "And he hasn't done this in so long, so what on earth could have triggered this?"

"Be on your way, Mr. Solace." Chiron ordered.

Will indicated with his head for Kayla to follow. She followed him as he carried Nico up the stairs. Once making it to the first floor, he made a beeline for the infirmary. Kayla opened the door for him and he walked through. He carefully laid Nico on one of the beds.

"I'm sorry for shooting him Will." Kayla apologized. "He scared the shit out of me."

"It's not your fault. It was just reflexes. If anyone's, it's Chiron's fault because he didn't tell us what was down there." Will explained as he pulled on a pair of gloves. He grabbed disinfectant as well as bandages to wrap Nico's arm when he finished healing it.

"Why was Nico even down there?" Kayla pondered.

Will lightly brushed the hair out of Nico's eyes. "We can ask him when he wakes up. But first, we need to patch him up."


	16. Chapter 16: Contact

_AN: yeah yeah, I am on summer, but I am having serious writer's block and I have been doing a Marvel Marathon so that's taken up a lot of time._

 _I saw a spoiler for the Burning Maze and I'm UPSET and Rick Riordan and I are going to share words and fists if it is true._

 _Also, if y'all want to follow me on Tumblr, feel free too! My username is musicaldoctorwho1819! You'll get to know just a little more about me, my interests and etc. I have like four blogs, but that one is my primary one._

 _Warnings: angst, mentions of self-harm_

 _Disclaimer: All rights reserved to Rick Riordan. I own nothing, but the plot._

 _This story discusses themes of self-harm, anxiety, and depression. Trigger warning. Do not read if any of these things upset you. Trigger warning!_

 _Criticism is appreciated, but please no hate. Please review and leave suggestions! Enjoy!_

* * *

Nico's POV:

He slowly started waking up. First, he felt the pain in his arm. Then came the sounds of his surroundings. Finally, he opened his eyes. He saw the familiar ceiling of the infirmary. Kayla had shot him. His night went great. He turned his head. Kayla was sitting in an armchair next to him. Her head was in her hands and she was rapidly bouncing her leg up and down. Nico could feel the anxiety and guilt coming off her in waves. She had shot him after all.

He tentatively moved his arm, trying to gauge how painful it was. Surprisingly, it did not hurt very much. But, judging by the fact that it was already noon the next day, Nico had been out for the entire night. Shadow travel was still tiring him out so easily.

He gripped his hand into a fist and punched it, in frustration, into the bed. He felt pain rip through his arm. He felt stitches pull, but not open.

The noise had startled Kayla from her reverie. "Holy schist-" she exclaimed.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to startle you." Nico apologized, still feeling the heavy guilt from the girl. "Is everything alright?"

Kayla laughed, fakely. "Is everything alright? That's a good one." She stood from her armchair.

"I mean, you seem really anxious about something." Nico pointed out.

"Well yeah, I shot you!" She exclaimed again. She looked at the bandage on his arm. "And look, you are bleeding again. You've been under my supervision for a total of ten minutes, and you manage to injure yourself further."

She tore off the bandage. Nico could see her hands shaking. "Yeah, you shot me. So what? Jason and Percy have given me way worse injuries in sparring practice. Arrows are sharper, but they injure less. Swords produce a lot more blood."

Kayla tended, her back to Nico. "The point is that I shot you." She slowly turned to face Nico. "But I wasn't shooting to injure; I was shooting to kill."

Nico nodded. "Understandable. You felt threatened. It is my own fault for hiding down there in the dark. At any rate, Will almost killed me on multiple occasions. It is just an occupational hazard."

"Hang on, what were you doing down there?" Kayla asked. "What was down there?"

Nico hadn't thought of a lie to tell. But, even if he said something about Aaron, he doubted that anyone would believe him. "I have no idea. When I was going to look for Chiron after Ellis disappeared, I tried to go to the basement, but it was locked. He eventually came upstairs,but refused to let me go back down. So, I got curious as to what he could be hiding down there." Nico explained. "I told him about Ellis, and my father summoned me to the Underworld, on some personal business. So I went to him and helped him and came back to investigate what was behind that door. And that's when you shot me."

"That doesn't explain why your hands were torn up, Nico." Will mentioned.

Nico and Kayla turned to face the door. Will had slipped into the infirmary without either of them noticing.

"I was doing something for my dad; it got a little dicey." Nico lied.

"Except the fact that those cuts were consistent with the ones you've made while cutting yourself. With glass." Will said.

"I didn't cut myself." Not until after, Nico thought.

"I looked around your room and found blood on the dresser. And you must have gone to your cabin before going to your father, so please explain how it got there, if you didn't cut yourself. And if you didn't get those cuts doing something for your father."

Nico was trapped. "I... I don't know what to say." He looked to Kayla for helped, but she looked away. She nodded to Will as she left the room.

"How about the truth?" Will said. "Listen, I won't be mad. I just want you to be honest. Did you cut yourself?"

No way out of this. Nico looked to the ground. "Yeah, I did."

He heard footsteps approaching. He felt Will's hand on his lower jaw. He found his head slowly being pushed up. He looked into Will's blue orbs. "It's going to be okay. Whatever it is; we are going to get through this, together."

Will kissed him on the forehead. Nico didn't realize how much he missed physical contact with Will. They had both been walking around eggshells with each other the past week. They had spent time together, but touching had been very limited and causal. "Now, please talk to me. What is going on?"

Nico turned to go sit on the bed, formulating a lie in his mind. "I- I relapsed. It was- it was bad judgment."

Will sat beside him. "What set it off?"

Nico looked at the ground, and then back at Will. "What Austin and Kayla said was not unwarranted. I am all of the things they said."

"You cut yourself because of what they said?"

Nico felt a surge of panic. He didn't want Will to blame his siblings. Guilt trickled into his mind, realizing he was shifting the blame over to the two Apollo children, because he was unable to face their own demons. "No. I was struck with the urge to hurt myself way before that. I didn't, but I wanted to."

"Why?"

"Because I am not good enough." This is where the truth came out, in full force.

Will groaned. "Are you still on that- that delusion?"

"It is not a delusion. Delusions are what crazy people think and no one else believes them. Your siblings believe that I am not good enough." Nico stood as he started pacing.

"Good enough for what?"

He stopped, looking straight at Will. "For you! For all of this! I am a shit demigod and an even worse boyfriend."

Will stood. He put his hands on Nico's arms. "That is not true!"

Nico pulled himself away. "I can barely get enough strength to hold up a sword and defend myself. I used to be-"

"-one of the most powerful demigods, yeah." Will finished. "I have heard you say all that before. So what? What does that matter? Why do you need to be the most powerful?"

"So I can defend myself from people like Aaron!" Nico let the name slip out. He wasn't supposed to be mentioning that particular son of Ares, but his rage won over.

"Is this what this is about? Aaron? Are you still thinking about him?" Will asked concerned. _Only every godsdamn moment of my life_ Nico thought. "Because he is gone, you are safe!"

"I will never be safe. Not if I cannot defend myself, which I appear to be struggling to do. I continue to get hurt. I want to be stronger and more powerful so I don't have to come crawling to you every time I get myself injured! So you don't kill yourself, trying to bring me back." Nico turned away. "I am not worth saving."

"Nico," Will started.

"Austin was right; I am just using you." Nico said, facing his boyfriend again. "I get myself hurt, unable to defend myself, and then I just come back to you expecting you to fix me and heal me. If I didn't get hurt in the first place, I wouldn't-"

"Need me?" Will interrupted. Silence fell between them after those two words were spoken. "Because that's what you were going to say, wasn't it? That if you didn't get hurt you wouldn't need me?"

Nico didn't even rush to correct him. That was not what he was going to say. He didn't really know what he had been planning to say.

Will came over to Nico, walking in front of him. Will brought his hand up, and Nico couldn't stop himself from flinching away. Will sighed, as he lightly brushed the strands of hair that had fallen into Nico's face.

"Austin really did a number on us with that crap, didn't he?" Will asked lightly. "Making us doubt the other."

"That's not what I was going to say." Nico whispered.

Will brought Nico in for a hug. "I know that."

Nico wrapped his arms around his boyfriend. He breathed in Will's scent deeply. "I just want to be happy. I want for us to be okay and happy. And I want to be able to protect us."

"We can be happy, Nico." Will reassured. "You just have to let this feeling of incompetency go."

"But-" Nico started, but Will cut him off, pulling him back.

"No buts. I know you think they are, but the disappearances aren't your fault. What Aaron did to you was not your fault. You being sucked into Tartarus was not your fault. None of this was your fault." Will reminded. He looked deeply into Nico's eyes. "Understand?"

Nico sighed deeply. He rubbed his forehead. "Yeah, I guess so."

Will smiled. "Good."

"Now what?" Nico asked.

"How about we go back to your cabin, and you tell me what happened with your father?" Will suggested.

"Or-we could do something else."

* * *

Will's POV:

"Oh my gods, Nico." Will said breathlessly. He looked up into the eyes of Nico. "How did you manage to do that move? That was remarkable."

Nico grinned, winking. "I am an expert after all."

Nico was destroying Will at Mythomagic. He had seemed eager to get his mind off whatever was bothering him, so Will had agreed to play with him. And now he was regretting his decision. Mostly, because he still barely knew how to play. "I win. Again."

Will rolled his eyes. "I hate you. You are the worst."

"No, you don't. Now, cmon, pay up. You owe me $20."

Will rolled his eyes. "You are a brat."

"Hey, now, a deal is a deal. Cough it up, Solace."

"Isn't there any other way I could make it up to you?" Will winked.

"Oh?" Nico sounded coy. "What did you have in mind?"

Will slowly leaned over the figurines and cards scattered across the floor. He walked himself on his hands, as he slowly approached his boyfriend. He brought one of his hands up to cup Nico's face. Nico watched him with bated breath. Will kissed him. A huge tension released from both boys. Nico turned his head a little, furthering the kiss, and putting both his hands on Will's face.

He brought himself closer to his boyfriend, until his was on his knees, neck bent as he kissed Nico. He slowly stood, bringing Nico with him. They momentarily broke off the kiss to go over to the bed. Nico laid on his back, Will holding himself over the younger boy.

Will smiled as he slowly lowered himself back down. He reconnected their lips, and put his tongue on Nico's lips, asking for permission. Nico granted him that and soon, their tongues were intertwined.

Will felt relieved. PDA was typically not a thing in their relationship , especially after all the hate they had gotten from Aaron and Drew. But, even in the privacy of either of their cabins, they had grown distant, in terms of physical contact. Will experience a huge release as he continued to kiss his boyfriend.

Nico was lightly pulling up on Will's t-shirt. Will grabbed the bottom of his shirt and pulled up, breaking the kiss to remove his shirt. He went back down to meet Nico's lips. Nico began running his hands over Will's back. Nico's hands were cold against Will's back, causing the latter to arch his back. His hips came into contact with Nico's, who sighed in pleasure.

Will grinned, coming up for air. Nico pouted and pulled Will to the side, switching their positions. Now Nico hovered over Will, slowly lowering his body onto WIll's. Nico began attacking Will's neck with kisses. Will moaned in satisfaction, Nico's lips searing hot compared to his hands.

Nico slowly began kissing down Will's chest. Warmth spread throughout Will's body as he fiddled with the hem of Nico's shirt as well. Nico continued to kiss down his body, eventually arriving at the waistline of Will's pants. He left a series of light kisses there.

"Nico," he whispered in pleasure. Nico smirked against WIll's skin.

"Feel good?"

Will nodded. "Although, I know that you are trying to distract me from talking about your father."

"Shhh," Nico chided. "Don't talk about my father while I am doing this."

He started to kiss his way back up Will's chest. Will was writhing in pleasure. Eventually, Nico finally arrived back at his mouth. Will recaptured his lips, and pulled the son of Hades closer, their hips grinding together. Both boys moaned in satisfaction. Will wanted more contact.

He grabbed Nico's shirt and slowly brought it up. "Is this okay?" Will whispered, breaking off the kiss.

Nico nodded. "Yes." Will pulled it off, throwing it to the floor. He brought Nico to his chest, lips still attached, allowing their bare chests to come together. Warmth spread throughout Will's body.

"Just tell me if you are uncomfortable at any time, okay?" Will murmured, pressing a kiss on Nico's forehead.

Nico nodded, kissing Will on the lips.


	17. Chapter 17: Something Wrong

AN: I'm back already with another chapter! I reread all my old stuff (honestly some of it is so cringy and doesn't make any sense but what can I say, I'm dramatic) and trying to continue the same character arcs I started as well as incorporate more of the fallback from the trial (because Healing the Dark part two ended before I could really get into that)

Disclaimer: All rights reserved to Rick Riordan. I own nothing, but the plot.

This story discusses themes of self-harm, anxiety, and depression. Trigger warning. Do not read if any of these things upset you. Trigger warning!

Criticism is appreciated, but please no hate. Please review and leave suggestions! Enjoy!

* * *

Nico's POV:

Something was very wrong. His eyes opened suddenly. Something felt amiss. He looked around. He was in his bed. He felt unbelievably warm. He turned to his right and found himself looking at the sleeping face of Will Solace. A very shirtless Will Solace. He was safe. He was content. So what had woken him up? Why did he feel like something was wrong?

He had been having a dream about Aaron. Nico carefully sat up, trying not to wake Will, but the son of Apollo was still deep in sleep. Nico rubbed his face, remembering that Aaron was relevant to his life. Chiron had said that he had banished Aaron from Camp, but Nico had a strange suspicion that the centaur was lying. He would spend some more time searching the Big House soon.

Aaron had humiliated him. He had almost killed him. Then, the trial put Nico's relationship and humiliation by the hand of Aaron on display for the entire camp. He was forced out of his comfort zone and picked apart by the camp. Anyone who didn't know now knew Nico's secrets. Now knew that he was weak. His hands tightened into fists.

Nico stood up. He walked over to his dresser, opening it quietly and pulling out his training clothes. He fastened the fingerless gloves that Hazel had gotten him for Christmas and threw a towel over his shoulder. Training would distract him from his mental worries. He grabbed his sword and left his cabin, closing the door quietly so he would not wake up Will.

He felt agitated as he walked. Aaron Stevenson did have that effect on him. He was supposed to be doing better. He remembered what he had said to Will: "I want us to be happy." He did mean that and he did want to be happy with Will. But, Aaron found ways to continue to muck that up.

He tried to calm himself down, but could not seem to do that. Maybe he could blow off some steam in the arena, so he could put on a happy facade for Will. He needed to be happy for Will. To hide the true turmoil he was going through. And to conceal the fact that Aaron might still be at camp.

He arrived in the arena and found it empty. Unsurprising, considering it was 7 am. He pulled off his shirt, feeling restrained and pulled out his sword, feeling how balanced it felt in his hands. Although it didn't matter to Will, Nico wanted to have that raw power he used to possess back. And only training would get him that.

As he went through the motions of sword fighting techniques, he fabricated answers to the questions Will was sure to have for him, that he had avoided last night. Where did you go? Why did your father summon you? Why did you cut yourself? Of course, he couldn't be honest with any of his answers; it would reveal that Aaron was still at camp, which he had agreed not to disclose.

Nico wasn't entirely sure why he agreed to keep it quiet. Not to incite anger from Chiron or Mr. D? Possible, but he had had worse enemies. Because he pitied Aaron for being treated as a pawn, controlled by an apparent outside force? Eh. Pity was a strong word and there was no confirmation he had been controlled.

The underlying reason was that Nico did not want to feel the same humiliation and pity he had gotten from campers and his own friends the first time Aaron had hurt him. He did not want to relinquish any more control to the son of Ares. He thought about the fact that if news got out that Aaron was still at camp, Jason, Percy, Will, and Reyna might very well kill him. Or at least injure him severely. A part of Nico relished in the idea of that. _Would serve him right_ Nico thought _Justice would be delivered, swiftly and justly._

The son of Hades shivered, lowering his sword to the ground, and leaning on it. That kind of thinking made Nico question his morals. It brought back memories of Bryce Lawrence, and how quickly Nico had served him justice.

Panic arose in Nico as he thought about how he had murdered the Roman in cold blood. Not murdered. Obliterated. Nico hated himself for that and for even thinking about wanting Aaron's death. He had asked his father to kill Aaron.

Nico knelt down, gripping tightly onto his sword, holding it for support. _What kind of sick and twisted person asks their father to kill someone?_ Nico didn't even know who he was anymore. He felt sick to his stomach. Was he becoming the monster that Drew and Aaron thought he was?

* * *

Will's POV

Will rolled over on the bed. He reached his hand out, but did not feel anything besides him. He opened his eyes blearily as he lifted his head. The bed next to him was empty. And cold. Nico was gone. And had been for a while. Will stood up, grabbing a jacket. He slid out the door and started to make his way across the greens. He had a feeling he knew where Nico disappeared to. He yawned as he padded into the arena. Low and behold, there was Nico.

Will grunted appreciatively; Nico was shirtless. His torso was lined with scars. He was going at the punching bag. Punched twice. Ducked. Punched four more times. Ducked. He was so focused on his technique that he didn't notice Will enter.

"Aren't you a little cold?" Will called out, after admiring Nico for a little while.

Nico stopped, grabbing the punching bag to steady it. He turned around, wiping the sweat off his forehead.

"I like the cold. It keeps me awake and alive."

"It could also contribute to illness if you aren't careful."

Nico scowled. "Will, we've been over this; you aren't my mother."

Will took the jacket he was wearing off and extended it to Nico. "And my concern for you doesn't make me your mother. It just means that I care about you."

Nico took the jacket grudgingly. He zipped it up angrily and stuffed his hands in his pockets. Will raised his eyebrows at this.

"Let me see them."

Nico pretended to look confused. "See what?"

"Don't play dumb; let me see your hands." Will shot back.

Nico rolled his eyes but removed his hands from his pockets. Will undid the gloves and looked at the raw skin below. His knuckles were bruised and bloody.

"You know how to punch properly, why are you hurting yourself like this?" Nico didn't respond to Will's question. "I'm not dumb, you know. I see what you are doing."

"I didn't cut myself today, if that's what you're implying, Solace."

Will took a step back. Nico only called him Solace when he was frustrated. "And I'm not as oblivious as you think I am, di Angelo." Nico moved away and sat angrily on a bench. Will sat next to him. "What's going on? Is it about what happened last night?

Nico shook his head. "We stopped before I got uncomfortable. I enjoyed last night."

Will breathed a deep sigh of relief. He was scared that he had pushed Nico too far, too fast. After all, the son of Hades was still recovering from his ordeal with Aaron. "Then what is it? What's wrong?"

"I had a nightmare," Nico said simply.

Will was surprised; Nico usually thrashed around or spoke when he was having a nightmare. "Oh? And you didn't wake me?"

"I woke up in the morning. It wasn't like my old nightmares about Tar- that place." Nico explained.

"What was it about?"

Nico looked at the ground. He was grappling with something in his mind. "It was about Aaron."

Will closed his eyes, thinking of a response. He opened them, looking at Nico, whose eyes were fixated on the ground. "You are safe from him; he isn't going to hurt you anymore."

Almost imperceptibly, Nico's hand clenched in a fist. He still feared the son of Ares. "Doesn't change what he did."

Silence fell between the two boys. Will didn't dare break it. He was shocked that Nico was even talking about it. After the trial, the son of Hades had not mentioned Aaron. Now, he was the subject of this conversation.

Nico whispered. "I am a terrible person."

"Why do you say that?"

Nico looked up at Will, with haunted eyes. "I thought about... I want to hurt him, Will. Like he hurt me."

Will breathed in through the nose. "I want to hurt him too, Nico. I want him to pay for what he did to you."

Nico shook his head rapidly. "You don't understand. I want him gone."

"He is-" Will trailed off, realizing the connotation between Nico's words. "Oh. Oh, Nico."

"I know, I know. I shouldn't wish death on anyone. But, this-this monster- he-he broke me." Nico admitted, tears threatening.

Will felt a twinge of fear. He knew what Nico was capable of. He had seen his raw power at the Battle of Manhattan. Because of the trauma he had faced, Will had not seen it since then, but he had heard stories from the Seven, along with Reyna about his power. "Obviously, wishing death on anyone, even monsters like him, is bad. But, you are not a bad person. Sure, you had that thought or impulse, but you would not act on it. You would not kill him. And that's why you are a good person."

"He-he just humiliated me, and there was nothing I could do about it. And his punishment was reliant on me spilling my secrets and my personal life to the camp." Nico was fidgeting as he spoke. "My privacy was destroyed. For the second time in my life."

"No one at the trial judges you. Everyone supports you."

Nico stood. "That's not the point." He started pacing. "Sure, they can support me. Sure, it was only the head counselors and a handful of other campers who heard. But, I had no say in what I shared. With whom I shared it with. Mr. D and Chiron forced me to share it all. All of the details of our relationship that no one else had a right to. It- it's just unfair how they did it."

Will nodded. "I agree. I didn't understand the need for a trial anyway. Why they couldn't have just seen what was in front of them. Especially Annabeth. After all, she ran the whole thing."

Nico shook his head. "It wasn't her fault. Chiron and Mr. D put her up to it. Percy told me- they put her under so much stress." Nico's voice was venomous when talking about their camp director and mentor.

"Is this why you were so angry with Chiron yesterday? After you'd been shot. Because of the trial?" Will asked. It would explain the sheer anger Nico seemed to have had towards the centaur the previous day.

"What?" Nico questioned. He took a moment, leaning against the weapons rack. "Oh. Oh yeah. I'm pissed at Chiron for the trial."

"Speaking of him, we were talking to him, trying to figure out where you went, and he was summoned to the Underworld. Any clue why your father would summon him?" Will wanted answers to the questions that he had tried to get last night, but he had had other matters on his mind.

Nico shrugged. "Maybe something to do with my coma thing. Remember, he said that some god might be interfering with my dreams. And that was why I left. That's why my father called me to the Underworld. To talk about that and get any clues about a god who might be involved. He sent me after a couple rogue spirits to find out information. That's where I was. And so maybe my father summoned Chiron while I was away."

Will was nodding as Nico spoke. "That makes sense. Did you figure anything out?"

Nico shook his head. "Nah, the lead my father gave me was a bust."

"I guess that's why Chiron didn't want to discuss it. About your dreams that is." Will said. All the pieces of the puzzle finally fell into place. Why Nico left; why he was on edge; why Chiron was called to the Underworld.

* * *

Nico's POV:

Nico was shocked that his lie had worked so well, but it did check all the boxes. He had had a lot of time to think about it, training that morning. It had distracted him from his thoughts about his terrible nature.

He was so deep in thought, he didn't even notice Will approaching him. Will touched his face. Nico flinched back but allowed Will to touch him.

Will sighed. "Where are you? You are a million miles away. What's going on in your head?" He kissed Nico's forehead.

"I- I don't know." Nico lied.

"Are you sure this isn't about last night?"

Nico rolled his eyes. He looked deeply into Will's eyes. "This isn't about last night. Look, all we did was make-out. It got heated, but it wasn't anything I couldn't handle. I was never uncomfortable. I love you and am comfortable with you. Okay?"

Will smiled. "Okay, then what's going on?"

Nico stepped away, pulling at his hair. "I'm so frustrated with these disappearances! I don't know what's happening to the campers and I don't know how to find them. I figured if I worked harder, or was stronger, I could do something about them!"

"That responsibility does not fall on you, Nico. There is an outside force interfering. Just like with your dreams. Training yourself so hard that you bleed isn't going to help any of the missing campers."

Nico started pacing again. "I knew there was something coming, and I was just planning to disappear to my father's palace."

Will followed him, grabbing his shoulder. "And yet, you stayed. You stayed to help. You are still here now, searching. You went to the Underworld to ask for guidance. But, you are still here and you can stay here if you want."

Nico felt nerves overtake him. He loved Will and last night had been amazing, but he was still set on leaving camp. He couldn't handle being at camp anymore. With all the campers who knew his secrets. All those pitying stares. And at the place that he had almost been beaten to death. If he ever had a chance to be happy with Will, he needed to leave camp and fix himself. "I truly appreciate that-"

"Will! Nico!" A panicked voice called out. The two boys turned to the arena entrance. Connor came running inside. His usually amused face was tight with stress. "Come quickly. It's- it's bad."

 _And there was that something wrong_ Nico thought.


	18. Chapter 18: Reunion

_AN: Hey, I'm back again yay! I have diverged a little from Camp Half-Blood to touch base on the struggles Percy has had with his own journey through Tartarus, so I hope you enjoy it!_

 _Disclaimer: All rights reserved to Rick Riordan. I own nothing, but the plot._

 _This story discusses themes of self-harm, anxiety, and depression. Trigger warning. Do not read if any of these things upset you. Trigger warning!_

 _Criticism is appreciated, but please no hate. Please review and leave suggestions! Enjoy!_

* * *

Nico's POV:

The head counselors who had not returned home after winter break had assembled at the ping-pong table. Someone was missing.

"You are saying- Miranda is missing?" Will asked, hands on the table, looking down. He looked up. "A head counselor, just disappeared?"

Chiron nodded gravely, hands steepled below his chin. "Left no trace of where she went.

"Miranda is one of the most responsible campers." Mitchell reminded. "She wouldn't go anywhere without telling anyone."

"Okay, so this isn't just campers leaving camp. Someone, something is taking them." Nico input.

"Do we have any idea of what is happening? Where they are?" Will asked.

"No. And I have been in contact with Miss Dare. She has not received any visions or prophecies."

Will removed himself from the table, hand on his forehead as he walked to the window. "And the only god who could help us or has some sense of the future is missing."

"Is there anyone else we could reach out to?" Sherman asked. "What about Camp Jupiter?" He looked to Nico.

"Communications are down. I haven't spoken to Jason, Hazel or Reyna since they left."

"What about Percy? Or Annabeth? They are still in New York." Connor asked.

Nico shook his head, remembering how complicated Annabeth's life with her cousin. "Annabeth is dealing with some family stuff. And Percy… I feel like bringing other demigods here will make things worse. Lead to more disappearances."

"We need godly assistance," Sherman stated.

"The only god we can get in contact with is my father, and he swore an oath not to disclose any information," Nico explained.

"So, we are stuck?" Will asked.

Nico looked towards Chiron. The centaur closed his eyes. "It would appear so. We need to take extra precautions. You must be in your cabins before nightfall. Everyone must be with someone else at all times. Use the buddy system. The forest is off-limits. Everyone, stay safe. Please."

* * *

Percy's POV

He was doing homework on the counter, his mother making a smoothie. He looked over at her. She looked so happy. Percy thought back to when he first returned home after the war with Gaea.

* * *

"Are you sure you are ready for this?" Annabeth had asked before he had left Camp.

"Annabeth, she thinks I'm dead or worse. I have to go see her."

"Do you want me to come with you?" Annabeth asked. Percy didn't really want to leave her behind. After being separated for as long as they were, leaving each other's side was incredibly challenging.

"I have to do this alone. I have to go see her."

Standing at the door now, he wasn't sure he was ready. He took a deep breath. He listened to the voices behind the door. Paul and his mom were talking, the news in the background. There was also the clinking of plates. His mother was cooking. He raised his hand to knock on the door, but it froze. He hadn't seen his mother in months. And he had changed so much in those months. He had gone through memory loss, went through Tartarus, almost died a hundred times, and almost destroyed the world because of a nosebleed. He didn't know how his mother would react to seeing him. Would she be pleased?

He knocked on the door. The voices stopped briefly before Percy heard someone heading towards the door. The door opened. Percy found himself looking at Paul.

"Oh my god, it's you." Paul looked shocked.

"Hey Paul," Percy put his hand on his neck, feeling awkward.

Paul was about to say something else but was interrupted by Sally. "What's going on, Paul? Who is it?"

Paul moved out of the way, opening the door a little wider. Sally looked past him and her eyes locked on Percy. Her eyes widened and she dropped the glass pan of lasagna that she was holding. Percy watched it fall in slow motion. Her hands moved up to her mouth. The pan shattered against the floor. Silence followed.

"Percy?" She whispered quietly.

"It's me, mom." Another frozen moment before Percy and Sally both rushed towards each other at the same time. Percy grabbed onto his mother tightly and she squeezed him even harder back.

"Thank the gods, thank Poseidon, oh my gods you are here," Sally whispered under her breath. Percy felt his shirt become wet with his mother's tears. He buried his face into his mother's shoulder, breathing in her scent. It brought the feeling of safety. Of home. He felt his eyes tear up.

"I'm here mom, I'm home." He whispered back. They stayed locked in that embrace for a few more minutes before Sally finally broke it off. She pulled away quickly and grabbed Percy by the upper arms.

"Where the hell have you been, Perseus?' She yelled. "I was worried sick! Annabeth said you had gone missing, and then she dropped off the grid too. I was trying to contact her and you and tried to go to Camp… nothing for eight months! Where the hell were you?"

Percy felt a lump settle in his throat. He gulped as he tried to speak.

"It's-" his voice cracked. "It's a long story." Flashes of Tartarus started racing through his mind. He tensed up as he mother continued her yelling.

"Well, you better start explaining! You do not get to disappear for almost eight months with no explanation-"

"Sally," Paul interjected, cutting her off, noticing Percy's distress. "Percy, are you alright?"

"I-" his voice cracked again before he looked at the floor, trying to hide the tears that threatened his eyes.

His mom, as her anger and fear subsided, noticed his state. "Percy? Baby, are you okay?" She put her hand on his shoulder. That broke him. He raised his head back up, tears flowing fluidity from his eyes. He shook his head.

"No, mom. I am not okay." Sally looked pained as she wrapped her arms around him again. Percy latched on, sobs working their way to this throat. This was the first time he had broken down since Tartarus

"Oh Perce, I'm so sorry for yelling. I was just worried."

Percy tried to reassure her that that was not why he was crying, but the words wouldn't come out. Only tears. And they wouldn't stop. He had been to of Tartarus for about a month now. Why was he just now breaking down? He had had conversations with Annabeth about Tartarus and comforted her as she cried, remembering the loss of their friends and the challenges they had gone through. But, Percy had distanced himself from what he had been feeling. He talked about it and started to open up to Nico and Jason. He hadn't needed to discuss what had happened with Grover, who visited Camp, knowing Percy returned because of Juniper, because of their shared empathy link. He had looked knowingly at Percy and simply said, "I know" when he opened his mouth to say something. Annabeth had confided in Hazel, Piper, and Thalia (who had visited when she had heard the news). All talk, not the feelings which was what the problem was. Now, all the feelings were rearing their ugly heads.

He finally calmed down enough to get some words out. "It's okay." He pulled away from the embrace. He wiped away his tears. "The important thing is that I am home."

Sally smiled, but Percy could perceive the pain behind the smile. "Yes, you are home." Percy looked away from the look his mother was giving him. He gained eye contact with Paul who was watching the events quietly. Percy moved from where he was standing with his hand outstretched.

"Paul."

"It's really good to see you again, Percy."

"You too, Paul."

"Perce, honey…" Sally said tentatively. Percy looked around at his mother. Her eyes were glued to the ground. "Your foot is bleeding."

Percy looked down. There was a glass shard that cut through his flip-flop into his foot, from the glass pan his mother had dropped. "I didn't even notice." He admitted.

"Let's get that cleaned up." His mother was about to start walking over to him, but Paul stopped her.

"Let's get this glass off the floor before someone else hurts themselves. Percy, you should go to the bathroom and start getting that cleaned up."

Percy nodded numbly, not really feeling the pain yet. He was in shock from seeing his mother and the rush of emotions had numbed him to the pain. He started the walk to the bathroom. He ducked into the hallway, stopping to listen to the conversation he assumed his mom and Paul were about to have."

"Paul, he's home… for months, I've been begging Poseidon, and he's back." Sally said quietly, muffled by Paul's shirt which Percy, peeking around the corner, saw her bury her face into.

"I know, darling, I know."

"But did you see his face? His eyes? Something terrible has happened to him. He looks shattered. And he didn't even feel the glass pierce his skin. Something is very wrong." Sally lamented.

"I noticed it as well. We need to be careful with him. Have to let him open up to us first. We don't want him to get freaked out by all the questions." Percy vaguely remembered his mom telling him about how Paul had some sort of background in psychology.

"Yes, I want to know what happened, but you are right. We cannot press him for information. Or say anything that would…. Oh, my gods, Paul, how are we going to tell him?" Sally gasped.

"Not yet. He just got back. This news would really shake him up. Let's wait a while before telling him." Percy was incredulous. Tell him what?

He heard Paul move to the kitchen to get the broom, so he moved from his spot to get to the bathroom. His shock had faded and he now felt the pain of his foot. He breathed in a sharp pain of breath as he closed the door. The pain was incredible. He was sent back to Tartarus. He shook his head from the thoughts and opened the cabinet, hands shaking as he searched for bandages. His hand spasmed and he knocked some pill bottles off the shelf. One hit the counter and the contents spilled into the sink.

"Shit," he muttered under his breath, moving to clean up the mess. He started replacing the pills to the bottle. He heard footsteps as his mom knocked on the door.

"Perce, is everything okay?" She asked. "Can I come in?"

"Yeah, I'm fine-" she opened the door, looking at the mess Percy had created. Percy looked up quickly, looking like a kid who had gotten in trouble for breaking a lamp. "I'm sorry."

"It's okay-" her eyes widened as she noticed the bottle he was holding.

"I was just- the pills fell out so I was putting them back in the bottle-" Percy explained, feeling embarrassed as he looked at the pill bottle. The label said Prenatal vitamins. "Wait-" All the pieces fell into place. The secret she and Paul were hiding. Paul's excessive concern for her stepping on glass. Prenatal vitamins. He looked back up at his mother, who had an ashamed look on her face. He held up the bottle. "Are you pregnant?"

"I can explain-" His mom started.

"So you are pregnant?" Percy asked.

"Yes, but we weren't… I wasn't trying to replace-" Percy held up his hand. His mom stopped.

He moved forward, wrapping his arms around his mother. "I'm so happy for you, mom."

Sally returned the hug. "What? Oh, really?"

Percy pulled away again. "Of course I am! Why wouldn't I be? I am going to be a big brother!" He felt true happiness flood into his system. "I am so happy for you!"

His mom smiled. "So are we! But, I'm even happier that you are home and safe and in one piece."

 _One piece is debatable_ he thought, but all he said was "Me too."

Paul appeared in the doorway. "Everything alright?"

Percy smiled and stepped forward again to give Paul another handshake to congratulate him, but pain ripped through his foot. The pain was there again. He stumbled forward and Paul steadied him.

"Let's get you off that foot, huh?" Paul suggested.

"Yeah," Percy hissed through the pain. His mom and Paul lowered him onto the toilet so he could sit. His mother rummaged through the drawer and pulled out bandages. She knelt before him. She carefully extracted the piece of glass, as Percy cursed profusely. She wrapped his foot.

"Do you have any ambrosia?"

Percy shook his head. "No, I left it at camp."

"Oh," his mom's voice was tense. "So you've been at camp. For how long?"

Guilt stabbed through Percy. He had been at camp for about a month, befogging being able to face his mother. He just couldn't bring himself to face her in the state he had been in. "Not too long."

"Didn't think to call? Or visit sooner?"

"Sally…" Paul warned.

"It's okay, she can be angry with me. I tried to pick up the phone, but I put it back down so many times. I- I just couldn't face you yet." Percy admitted.

"Face me? What do you mean? Did you feel like you couldn't come to me?" She asked, hurt evident in her eyes.

"It's not that simple mom…" Percy excused.

"Then simplify it for me, Perce." She said sternly. "Or would I not understand because I am a mere mortal?" She asked, sincerely.

"I went through hell." He confessed.

"Like literally or metaphorically?"

"Both," Percy joked weakly.

"But, you've handled the Underworld before. Didn't your friend Nico take you there to make you invincible." She said. She looked at his foot. "Aren't you supposed to be invincible?"

"Not the Underworld, mom. Something worse." He felt the lump in his throat again. "Something much worse."

* * *

A plate being placed before him disturbed him from his thoughts.

"Cookies are ready!" His mother said cheerfully. Percy grinned, noticing the cookies were blue.

"Thank you, mom," Percy said.

She smiled and started cleaning the kitchen, putting her hand protectively over her swelling stomach. Percy looked at her. He was happy that she was happy. That first visit had been a turbulent one. He had tried to explain Tartarus, without going into too much detail, one because it was painful, two because he didn't want to terrify his mother, and three because she wouldn't understand unless she had been there.

She had not taken the news very well, freaking out. She made him stay at home for a week, before letting him return to camp, unwilling to let him out of her sight. The following weeks, whenever he returned home, she would look at him with expressions of concerns and sorrow. She noticed the pain that Percy was holding inside of him and it really affected her. So, Percy got better at controlling his emotions and hiding his feelings from his mother. But, it was hard to hid the screaming from nightmares from Paul and his mom. He had consulted with Chiron about controlling dreams as well as Clovis, who had both given him tips. He was getting better at controlling nightmares and his night screams. He had eventually reenrolled in school, to restore some sense of order to his and his mom's life. Things were slowly going back to normal. The past couple of days, Sally Jackson had finally started to become her old self again. Percy was happy to see her restored.

"What do you have to get accomplished today?" She asked.

Percy opened his mouth to respond but was interrupted by a knock on the door. He looked questioningly at his mother. "Are you expecting someone?"

She shook her head. "No, Annabeth?"

"No, she's back in Boston with her dad," Percy said.

"Again?" She asked as Percy got up from the counter.

"Yeah, had some unfinished business with her family." He said as he walked to the door. He opened up, revealing a short girl and a lanky teenager. Short girls and lanky teenagers didn't just show up to his door. This was a god.

"It is I, Apollo!" The teenager informed.

 _Just when my life started to get normal again_ he thought _Apollo shows up at my door._


	19. Chapter 19: Apollo's Arrival

_AN: I'm back again! Wow, three or four chapters in two days. I'm not that fast, I promise. I have had these chapters written for a while and made the proper adjustments with what I have written up to this point. Also, most of this was verbatim of what Rick Riordan wrote, with my artistic license. NO COPYRIGHT INFRINGEMENT THANK YOU._

 _Disclaimer: All rights reserved to Rick Riordan. I own nothing, but the plot._

 _This story discusses themes of self-harm, anxiety, and depression. Trigger warning. Do not read if any of these things upset you. Trigger warning!_

 _Criticism is appreciated, but please no hate. Please review and leave suggestions! Enjoy!_

* * *

Will's POV

It had been an incredibly tense day at camp, with search parties scouring the camp for traces of Miranda. But, she was missing. Just like the other demigods.

Lou Ellen had suggested they all take a break from the fear and confusion by having a campfire. He had finally convinced Nico that he would enjoy it. So here they were, making smores. Nico was, shockingly, scowling, but Will could tell that he was enjoying himself.

"Um, guys?" Kayla said, looking out to the forest.

Will looked around quickly. The forest was off limits at the moment so Will thought it was a lost camper returning. Approaching instead as a small girl carrying the weight of a teenaged boy.

Will stood, Nico following quickly. The duo coming from the woods stepped into the light of the fire.

The teenager grinned. "Oh, hi! I'm Apollo!"

His eyes rolled up in his head. But, Will had seen it coming. He sprang forward and grabbed the teenager before he hit the ground.

"Someone go tell Chiron." Will demanded. "And get me a stretcher!" There was a flurry of movement, but Will was focused on his patient. His eyes sought the young girl who had brought him in. "Is this really Apollo?"

The girl shrugged. "That's what he's claiming."

"What happened to him?" Will asked the girl. "Who are you?"

"My name is Meg and I am a demigod. Apollo has no powers. He was beaten up by thugs and went hysterical out in the woods. He only got out because I was there."

"A god that has no powers? That's not good. I guess we finally figured out his punishment." Nico commented.

Will felt for his... father's pulse. It was weak. His skin was hot.

He looked up to see Kayla kneeling down on Apollo's other side. "We need to get him to the infirmary."

"No." Kayla rejected his idea. "There will be too many..." she glanced around at the campers. "...prying eyes. Bring him to our cabin. Cabin Seven. Austin can go set up a cot for him."

"But, all my supplies..." Will trailed as Austin headed to their cabin. He wouldn't be able to heal his father without supplies.

"I will go get what you need," Nico promised. He turned to go to the infirmary as the stretcher Will had requested arrived.

"Thank you." Will said to both Nico and the camper who had brought him the stretcher.

Will carefully moved Apollo onto the stretcher. He gained eye contact with Kayla. "On three we lift him: one, two, three."

He grunted with effort as he grabbed one end of the stretcher. How had this happened? Why had this happened? His father disappeared for months only to appear at Camp Half-Blood disguised as a teenager with a young demigod in tow. Maybe Apollo had something to do with the disappearances. Or maybe Apollo had been sent to them to help recover those who had been lost.

They crossed the commons to their cabin. Austin opened the door when he had seen them approaching. They transferred Apollo to the cot that Austin had put out in the middle of the room.

"What's wrong with him?" Kayla asked.

Will started examining his father. His skin was burning up. Will felt around his father's head. No bumps, but his nose looked broken. He moved to the torso. A couple of ribs had been broken as well. What surprised Will the most was the fact that the body was leaking blood, not ichor.

"His nose is definitely broken. A couple ribs are as well. He has a high fever and Meg said that he went hysterical when he was in the woods. His mind is in turmoil."

Kayla nodded. "Let's try nectar or ambrosia."

Will was saved from answering by the door opening. He turned and found Nico approaching, his hands full of medical supplies. He crossed the room and dropped it on a nearby table.

"I grabbed everything I could carry. Bandages, a bottle of nectar, ambrosia, a needle and thread, a hypodermic needle, IV bags, blood bags-"

Will started sorting through the supplies. "This is all great, thank you, Nico."

"Lou Ellen is following me with the oxygen mask and heart monitor," Nico explained.

Just then, Lou Ellen opened the door. Will rushed over, grabbing the supplies. He took the stickers and attached them to Apollo's chest. The machine started beeping a steady, but weak, pulse.

"How is he?" Nico asked.

"Not good, right now. But, we are going to try to give him nectar." Will grabbed the bottle of nectar.

He strode across the room back to his father. He put the bottle to his lips and slightly tipped it back. Apollo's lips started steaming. The heart monitor started beeping like crazy. Will's eyes widened in shock and he immediately removed the bottle.

"Shit!" He cursed, dropping the nectar. "He's not still a god. He's mortal!"

He grabbed Apollo's wrist. His heart was failing. His vitals were bottoming out.

"Will, he has an aura of death. If you don't do something, he's going to-"

"I know!" Will yelled at his boyfriend.

He turned Apollo over on his side, putting his fingers down his throat. Apollo involuntarily vomited, expelling the nectar from his system. Will turned him back onto his back.

His heart was flatlining. They didn't have a defibrillator in the cabin. He would have to do CPR. He climbed on top of the cot, legs on either side of his father. He started compressions. 1-2-3. He blew air into his lungs. 1-2-3. He blew air in again. 1-2-3. Apollo breathed in, his heart stabilizing. Will groaned in relief. He had almost killed his father.

He carefully climbed down from the cot, Kayla stabilizing him. "You did it, Will."

Will nodded, numbly. He continued focusing on his father. He didn't know what to do. Apollo had a few broken ribs and a nose, but his fever was still spiking. He didn't know what was wrong with him, and he definitely didn't know how to heal him. He grabbed an IV and hung it on a pole. He was prodding Apollo's thin arm, looking for a vein, but he couldn't see to find one.

"You're shaking." Nico pointed out. Will looked at his hand to find that he was, in fact, shaking. Shaking and needles were not good combinations.

"I almost killed him." He said in a whisper as he continued to look for a vein.

"Will, stop. You are going to hurt him if you keep shaking with that needle." Kayla admonished lightly, taking the IV from him and expertly inserting it into Apollo's arm.

Will looked at Nico with haunted eyes. "I almost killed him."

"But you didn't." Nico reminded. "You just saved his life."

Will heard him, but the words didn't process. He put his head in his hands. "I almost killed Apollo, a god. Oh my gods, I almost killed my father."

Nico put his hand on Will's shoulder. "It's not your fault; you didn't know. The important thing is that you saved him. He's going to be okay."

Will looked into Nico's eyes. They were sincere. He believed what he was saying. "Nico-"

"Will," Nico's voice pleaded. "I watched Apollo's process. If you hadn't done what you did, he would have died."

"But the nectar-" Will started.

"You had to try something. That's what you thought of first. I know this is really hard to process, but you need to focus. He is not in the clear yet. You need to heal him."

Will took a deep breath. He tried to shake away his fear. He had a job to do. He had a duty. He closed his eyes, focusing on shutting down his emotions. He would have time to deal with his emotions later. He let his adrenaline take over. His eyes slid open. He had a job to do.

"Okay, let's see what we can do about our father." He said to Kayla.

He moved back over to Apollo. His heart rate had steadied, but he was still running a high fever. That was most likely due to the fact that Will had accidentally given him nectar. His nose and ribs were still broken.

Will's hands lit up. He started moving them over his father's chest and nose. He focused on mending the broken bones. His energy drained, but he continued to heal his father. His hands lost their glow and he stumbled back. Nico moved forward to catch him, but Will waved him off. He gently prodded Apollo's ribs again. They were still broken. Will's eyebrows scrunched in confusion.

"It- it didn't work." Will was startled. That had been happening more often than not recently. He had failed to save Nico when it mattered most. And now he was failing to save his own father. His hand scrunched into a fist.

"It actually helped more than you think, Will." Nico murmured. He uncrossed his arms, pointing towards Apollo. "He was partially in the Underworld, but that healing magic you just did, though it did not completely heal him, you stabilized him."

Will looked to Kayla for confirmation. She nodded. "Nico's right. He's not healthy, but he's also not on the brink anymore."

"But, I haven't fixed him." Will clarified. His hands were curled up into fists. "I don't know how to fix him! He's mortal. He had blood, not ichor. I don't understand what's wrong."

"I don't think we are going to understand until he wakes up," Kayla said. "So, all there is left to do is wait."

"But-"

"No buts," Kayla said in her no-nonsense tone. "You have already depleted your energy; you aren't trying anything else. You just have to give Apollo time to heal. If he isn't better by morning, we will try something else. Agreed?"

Will sat down on his bed. He considered his father. He looked around the room at Kayla, Austin, and Nico, all waiting for his command. He nodded. "So now we wait."

* * *

Dawn was breaking. Will could feel himself becoming heavy with exhaustion, but he refused to allow himself to sleep. Instead, he focused on the self-deprecating thoughts and the insecurities he felt with his own healing abilities. He had almost killed his father.

As punishment, he had stayed awake all night to keep an eye out on Apollo. Soon after they had started waiting, Nico had eventually stepped out to go see what was happening with the rest of the camp. He talked to Meg and Chiron and gave Will, Kayla, and Austin the rundown. He had eventually gone back to his cabin after failing to get Will to talk about how he was feeling. Kayla and Austin had stayed up until around two in the morning before crashing. They were now walking around camp, checking on everything.

Apollo's condition had improved greatly. His ribs had started to mend as had his nose on their own. Kayla had been correct.

A groan startled Will from his thoughts. Apollo had been muttering and twitching all night, but he appeared to be waking up. Will stood from the bed to go to his father's side. He grabbed a rolling chair. He sat with his father as he woke. He was shivering and sweating as his eyes flew open.

"Easy." Will said, resting his hand on his father's shoulder. "Don't try to sit up."

His father tried to sit up. He looked around the room before latching onto the flowers on the windowsill.

"Those flowers..." his voice was hoarse. "Those are from Delos, my scared island."

That meant that Apollo had retained some of his memories. "Yep. They only grow in and around Cabin Seven- your cabin. Do you know who I am?"

Apollo studied his face. He had done it before when Will was younger. When he had come to his house in Florida. Protecting him from his mother's drinking. A look of recognition sparked on his face. "You're Will Solace. My, ah... erm-"

"Yeah," Will agreed. "It's awkward."

Suddenly, he listed sideways.

"Whoa, there." Will steadied him. "I tried to heal you, but honestly, I don't know what's wrong. You've got blood, not ichor. You've recovering quickly from your injuries, but your vital signs are completely human."

Apollo shuddered. "Don't remind me."

"Yeah, well..." Will put his hands on his father's forehead and frowned in concentration. His hands were shaking slightly and he hoped that his father, the best healer of all time, wouldn't notice. "I didn't know any of that until I tried to give you nectar. Your lips started steaming. I almost killed you."

"Ah..." his tongue darted out across his lips. "I guess Meg forgot to tell you about my condition."

"I guess she did." He took Apollo's wrist and checked the pulse. It was steady. "You seem to be about my age, fifteen or so. Your heart rate is back to normal. Ribs are mending. Nose is swollen, but not broken."

"And I have acne," Apollo lamented. "And flab!"

Will tilted his head. "You're mortal, and that's what you're worried about?"

"You're right. I'm powerless. Weaker even than you puny demigods!"

"Gee, thanks..." Will stopped himself from saying dad.

The whole situation was quite amusing. His own father was his age and concerned about what all teenagers were concerned about. Appearances and acne. His mouth started twitching.

"Are- are you amused?" Apollo demanded.

Will shrugged. "Well, it's either find this funny or freak out. My dad, the god Apollo, is a fifteen-year-old-"

"Sixteen," he corrected. "Let's say sixteen."

"A sixteen-year-old mortal, lying in a cot in my cabin, and with all my healing art- which I got from you- I still can't figure out how to fix you." Will felt helpless. He had failed in healing too many times. And now he couldn't heal his father?

"There is no fixing this," Apollo said miserably. "I am cast out of Olympus. My fate is tied to a girl named Meg. It could not be worse!"

Will laughed. He had liked the girl. "Meg seems cool. She's already poked Connor Stoll in the eyes and kicked Sherman Yang in the crotch."

"She did what?" Apollo looked shocked.

"She'll get along just fine here. She's waiting for you outside- along with most of the campers." Will remembered what that meant. "Just so you're prepared, they're asking a lot of questions. Everyone is wondering if your arrival, your mortal situation, has anything to do with what's been going on at Camp."

He frowned. "What had been going on at camp?"

The cabin door opened, interrupting Will. Austin and Kayla walked in. They had been inseparable ever since Will and Nico had returned from the Underworld. They were close siblings, but Will had found himself entering a room and them stopping conversations.

"Austin," Apollo recalled. "And Kayla, isn't it?"

The two looked at each other. The same glances they had been sharing all week.

"So it's really you," Kayla said.

Austin frowned. "Meg told us you were beaten up by a couple of thugs. She said you had no powers and went hysterical out in the woods."

That had been exactly how Meg had described the situation, using a few more choice words.

"Meg talks too much." Apollo dismissed.

"But you're mortal?" Kayla asked. "as in completely mortal? Does that mean I'm going to lose my archery skills? I can't even qualify for the Olympics until I'm 16!"

"And if I lose my music…" Austin shook his head. "No, man, that's wrong. My last video got, like, five hundred thousand views in a week. What am I supposed to do?"

Will loved his siblings, but he rolled his eyes. There were far more pressing matters to think about. And there was a storm coming.

"My problem should not affect you. If Zeus went around retroactively yanking my divine power out of all my descendants, half the medical schools in the country would be empty. The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame would disappear overnight. The Tarot-card reading industry would collapse overnight!"

Austin visibly relaxed. "That's a relief."

Will brought attention back to the problem at hand. "Why don't you run to the Big House and tell Chiron that our patient is conscious. I'll bring him along in a minute. And see if you can disperse the crowd outside, okay? I don't want everybody rushing Apollo at once."

Kayla and Austin nodded before leaving. Will turned to his father, an apology on his lips.

"They're in shock. We all are. It will take some time to get used to... whatever this is." Will explained.

"You do not seem shocked," Apollo muttered.

Will laughed. Apparently, he was a much better actor and liar than he thought, able to fool his own father. "I'm terrified. But one thing you learned as the head counselor: you have to keep it together for everyone else. Let's get you on your feet."

He wrapped his arm around Apollo's torso, but the god, former god, was trying to stand on his own. He fell twice before Will could finally get him up. He leaned on Will for support as they headed towards the door. Will pushed it open.

Kayla and Austin had been successful in clearing the porch. Kayla was quite intimidating, especially when she had her bow on her back. The only person on the porch was Meg.

"You look yuck," Meg said, sticking her tongue out at Apollo. Will grinned at the young demigod's antics.

"And you, Meg, are as charming as ever." Apollo shot back.

The girl adjusted her glasses. "Thought you were going to die."

"Glad to disappoint you."

"Nah, you still owe me a year of service. We're bound, whether you like it or not!"

Apollo sighed. "I suppose I should thank you... how did you get us out of the woods?"

Her expression was guarded. "Dunno. Luck." She jabbed a thumb towards Will. "From what he's been telling me, it's a good thing we got out before nightfall."

"Why?" Apollo asked.

Will thought about all the disappearance. Thinking of Cecil sent a stab to his heart. "I should let Chiron explain. Come on."

They continued to walk across the commons. The camp was usually pretty empty over the winter, but even more so than usual. After all the disappearances, many demigods returned to their mortal parents. Or went back to schools all across the world.

Will looked to see the Big House. Nico was waiting on the porch, leaned against one of the posts. He was wearing black jeans, a Ramones shirt, and his bomber jacket. His sword was at his side.

"I remember you," Apollo recalled. "Is it Nicholas, son of Hades?"

Will remembered back to the Underworld when Persephone had called him Nicholas. It felt like a lifetime ago.

"Nico di Angelo." He studied Apollo. "So it's true. You're completely mortal. There's an aura of death around you- a thick possibility of death."

"Sounds like a weather forecast." Meg snorted.

Will put his hand on Nico's shoulder. "Nico, we need to talk about your people skills."

Nico scowled at him. "The only people I talk to are you and my friends. They don't have a problem. And I'm just stating the obvious. If this is Apollo, and he dies, we are all in trouble."

Will turned back to his father. Great boyfriend-meets-the-parent meeting. "I apologize for my boyfriend."

Nico rolled his eyes. "Could you not-"

"Would you prefer special guy?" Will teased. "Or significant other?"

"Significant annoyance in your case," Nico grumbled.

Will looked at Nico. "Oh, I'll get you for that."

"You guys fight a lot." Meg quipped, bringing the attention back on her. "I thought we were going to see a centaur."

"And here I am." The screen door opened, revealing Chiron. He looked over Will's father. "Apollo, it's good you are here. We need to talk about the disappearances."


	20. Chapter 20: Not Enough Answers

AN: so while I am writing during the time frame of the Hidden Oracle, a lot of the dialogue and writing IS going to be Uncle Rick's (PLEASE DONT SUE ME I AM DOING IT FOR THE MEMS) and also SPOILERS (Rick's work is canon obvi), but I will put my own spin on it. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: All rights reserved to Rick Riordan. I own nothing, but the plot.

This story discusses themes of self-harm, anxiety, and depression. Trigger warning. Do not read if any of these things upset you. Trigger warning!

Criticism is appreciated, but please no hate. Please review and leave suggestions! Enjoy!

* * *

Nico's POV:

The new girl, Meg gawked as Chiron emerged from the Big House. "He-he really _is_ a centaur." Nico held back a scathing remark about his former mentor, not really in the forgiving mood.

"Well spotted," Apollo said. "I suppose the lower body of a horse is what gave him away?"

She punched him in the arm. Nico liked the girl. She was fiery and had put Connor and Sherman in their places.

"Chiron," Apollo said, "this is Meg McCaffrey, my new master, and wellspring of aggravation. You were saying something about disappearances?"

Chiron's tail flicked. His hooves clopped on the planks of the porch. "Welcome, Meg. I understand you showed great bravery in the woods. You brought Apollo here despite many dangers. I'm glad to have you at Camp Half-Blood."

"Thanks," said Meg. "You're really tall. Don't you hit your head on light fixtures?"

Chiron chuckled. "Sometimes. If I want to be closer to human size, I have a magical wheelchair that allows me to compact my lower half into…Actually, that's not important now."

"Disappearance," Apollo clarified. "What has disappeared?"

 _Too many people_ Nico thought.

"Not _what_ , but _who_ ," Chiron said. "Let's talk inside. Will, Nico, could you please tell the other campers we'll gather for dinner in one hour? I'll give everyone an update then. In the meantime, no one should roam the camp alone. Use the buddy system."

"Understood." Will looked at Nico. "Will you be my buddy?"

"You are a dork," Nico announced, but he was already plotting. He wanted to get in on that meeting, to see what Apollo knew. What his father wasn't telling him. He and Will turned away, walking from the Big House. Once Nico heard the door close, he stopped. Will stopped too.

"What's up?"

"I want to know what's going on in that meeting," Nico said, point-blank.

"And I'm sure we will find out, later at dinner. So c'mon," Will implored, trying to tug Nico along.

"You should get some sleep, Will. I can tell from the bags under your eyes that you didn't sleep at all last night." Nico pointed out.

Will hung his head. "I'm just… it's a lot to process."

Nico put his hand on Will's shoulder. "Don't carry the weight of the world on your shoulders, Will. It's not your fault that Zeus cursed your father."

"But what if it is?" Will looked at Nico. "Remember, I stood up to him at the Solstice. What if he incurred his wrath at my father?"

"Your father was missing from Olympus far before you stood up to Zeus. I'm sure that has nothing to do with it. Now, go tell Kayla to tell the others that dinner is in an hour and go take a nap." Nico ordered, backing up to the Big House.

"But, the buddy system." Will protested.

Nico grinned. "I'm a big boy, I can get to the Big House without incident."

Will leaned forward, planting a kiss on Nico's cheek. "Stay safe."

Nico nodded. "Get some rest."

He turned and jogged to the Big House. He quietly opened the screen door. He silently padded across the floor, skipping over the squeaky floorboards. He slipped under a desk, hiding in the shadows as Chiron's voice came flooding out of the living room.

"-the Oracle of Delphi stopped receiving prophecies. In fact, all known methods of divining the future suddenly failed."

"Because the original cave of Delphi was retaken," Apollo remembered during the war with Gaea when the Oracle stopped receiving prophecies. That's why Ella the harpy had been extremely valuable.

Meg spoke up. "Oracle of Delphi. Percy mentioned that." Percy? Nico hadn't seen the son of Apollo since they had all gone their separate ways after the trial.

"At any rate," Chiron continued, "we hoped that once the war was over, the Oracle might start working again. When it did not…Rachel became concerned."

Percy only knew about the Oracle because Rachel had clued them in during Winter Break. And Rachel had been agitated about it at Winter Break.

"The original Delphi was a place in Greece," Apollo explained. "A cavern filled with volcanic fumes, where people would come to receive guidance from my priestess, the Pythia."

 _"_ _Pythia."_ Meg giggled. "That's a funny word."

"Yes. Ha-ha. So the Oracle is both a place and a person. When the Greek gods relocated to America back in…what was it, Chiron, 1860?" Apollo asked.

Chiron seesawed his hand. "More or less."

"I brought the Oracle here to continue speaking prophecies on my behalf. The power has passed down from priestess to priestess over the years. Rachel Dare is the present Oracle." Apollo informed.

"Mm-kay. Is it too late to watch that movie?" Meg asked.

Nico stopped himself from snorting. He remembered that orientation film. He had been so excited when first arriving at camp. And that was when his crush on Percy had started developing. It felt like lifetimes ago; he was a completely different person.

"Now, the way I gained possession of the Oracle of Delphi in the first place was by killing this monster called Python who lived in the depths of the cavern," Apollo said. Nico remembered a lesson that Malcolm had taught about that.

"The snake species is named after Python the monster, who is also rather snaky, but who is much bigger and scarier and devours small girls who talk too much. At any rate, last August, while I was…indisposed, my ancient foe Python was released from Tartarus. He reclaimed the cave of Delphi. That's why the Oracle stopped working." Nico shuddered with mention of Tartarus and the snake. In his dream state, he vaguely remembered the twin giants who had captured him discussing the snake. He started shaking as he recalled memories of that place. He clenched his fist and tried to focus on the conversation at hand.

"-the branches and leaves of prophecy may extend across the world, and Rachel Dare may be our loftiest branch, but if the taproot is strangled, the whole tree is endangered. With Python back in residence at his old lair, the spirit of the Oracle has been completely blocked."

"Oh," Meg said. "Why didn't you just say so?"

"The larger problem," Chiron said, "is that we have no other source of prophecies."

"The centaur seemed to be forgetting about Ella, but she was away at Camp Jupiter with Tyson. And Camp Half-Blood had no contact with the other camp.

Apollo shouted, disturbing Nico from his thoughts. "Meg McCaffrey, prophecies are the catalysts for every important event—every quest or battle, disaster or miracle, birth or death. Prophecies don't simply foretell the future. They shape it! They _allow_ the future to happen."

Nico had heard enough, getting some answers to his questions. He slipped out from under the desk and headed towards the door. He exited the Big House and headed to the pavilion. He had known about the Oracle not receiving prophecies because of Rachel, but because Python had reclaimed the original location. Python was a being to be feared. He was an incredibly powerful monster. Now, Nico had not faced the monster, but he had definitely felt his presence when in Tartarus. That raw, ancient power. The stench of the monster.

He shivered in the cold air. He looked over at the hearth burning in the center of Camp. Hestia was missing, not tending to the fire. Nico headed towards the fire and sat down, taking in the warmth of the flames. Tartarus was really following him everywhere. He hated to admit it, but he was eventually going to have to face that place. He closed his eyes at the thought of doing that.

* * *

Will's POV:

The conch for dinner woke him from his short cat-nap. He rubbed his eyes of the sleep, still feeling exhausted. He yawned as he stood, stretching. He still couldn't believe his father, the god of music, healing, poetry, and the sun, was at Camp Half-Blood, And Will had almost killed him. Almost committed patricide. He thought of what Nico had divulged during one of the discussions of his nightmares about how Reyna claimed she had done the same thing. But Nico assured that Reyna's father had been a spirit, possessed by his evil nature.

He walked aimlessly, not really paying attention to where he was heading. He looked up and found Nico, staring into the flames of the hearth. He looked haunted. The grass beneath his feet was turning brown and dying. He was steaming.

"Nico?" Will said lightly. Nico blinked, looking up. The steam faded, but the grass was still dead.

"Oh, hey. Did you sleep?"

Will nodded. "Yeah, a bit. But, what's going on with you?" He asked concerned. He sat besides Nico. "I walked up and you were… steaming. The grass was dying. What's happening?"

Nico tried to turn, but Will grabbed his shoulder. He got zapped with the dark energy that Nico occasionally expelled from his body. He pulled his hand away quickly. Nico's eyes widened. "Oh my gods, Will."

Will laughed it off nervously. That had not happened in a while. "It's all good, just felt like you shocking me. Don't avoid the question though. What's going on?"

Nico rubbed his forehead. "I found out why we aren't getting prophecies."

"And why is that?" _Why does it have you all worked up?_ Will thought.

The conch sounding again for dinner startled the two boys, Nico standing up looking ready to fight.

"It's okay, Nico. It's just the conch for dinner." The son of Hades visibly relaxed. "How about you explain what you heard while we walk to the pavilion?"

Nico shook off his bad feelings. "Apollo and Chiron, they were talking about Python."

Will felt fear overtake him. He knew all the stories, especially as a son of Apollo. Python was Apollo's greatest adversary. "You mean- the Python?"

Nico nodded gravely. "He's retaken the original Oracle of Delphi. It's why we have stopped receiving prophecies."

Most people were scared of snakes, but Will was terrified of them, because of stories of Python and his father. "That- that truly explains a lot."

"Not the disappearances. And who is controlling him? He would have needed aid escaping from Hell and through the Doors of Death."

And the pieces finally fit into place about why Nico had been so on edge; Python had, of course, come from Tartarus. There was a chance he escaped while the Doors of Death were open, while Nico was in Tartarus.

"Did you face him down there?" Will dared to ask. Nico turned white and continued walking.

"There's Apollo. Let's go join him." Nico evaded the question. So he had some encounter with the monster. What kind, Will had no idea.

Nico sat down at the Apollo table, which surprised Will. Usually, he had to drag Nico to dinner and then eat with him at the Hades table. Kayla and Austin sat down also. Nico shot a look at his siblings but said nothing. Will had talked to both of them, privately, and they said nothing as they sat down.

Austin and Kayla peppered Apollo with questions about Olympus, the war with Gaea, and what it felt like to be a god and then a human. Will watched his father's reactions as well as surveying Nico's behavior.

His father looked uncomfortable. Nico looked… happy. He was smiling. And he was faking it. Will knew a fake smile when he saw it, but he went a long with it.

"Nico," Apollo said at last, "shouldn't you be sitting at the Hades table?"

He shrugged. "Technically, yes. But if I sit alone at my table, strange things happen. Cracks open in the floor. Zombies crawl out and start roaming around. It's a mood disorder. I can't control it. That's what I told Chiron. Also, I don't really follow rules."

"And is it true?" Apollo asked.

Nico smiled thinly. "I have a note from my doctor."

Will raised his hand. "I'm his doctor."

"Chiron decided it wasn't worth arguing about," Nico said. "As long as I sit at a table with other people, like…oh, these guys, for instance, …the zombies stay away. Everybody's happier."

Will nodded serenely. "It's the strangest thing. Not that Nico would ever misuse his powers to get what he wants."

"Of course not," Nico agreed. The rules about sitting at the proper table had faded when the Seven were here, but since they left, more order was restored to Camp and Chiron had reimposed the rules. Not that Nico was going to follow them.

"Where are the others?" Apollo asked.

Will took a bite of his pizza. "Were you looking for somebody in particular?"

"What about the ones who went on that quest with the boat?"

Will and Nico exchanged a look. Oh. The Elite Squad.

"Well," Nico started, "you saw Percy. He and Annabeth are spending their senior year in New York. Hazel and Frank are at Camp Jupiter doing the Twelfth Legion thing."

"Ah, yes."

"Jason and Piper are spending the school year in Los Angeles with Piper's dad. They took Coach Hedge, Mellie, and Little Chuck with them." Nico went over. Little Chuck was a cute little monster, but Will still shuddered every time he thought about delivering him. With an imminent battle approaching. One of the most terrifying experiences of his life.

"If anyone could help me, it would be Leo Valdez," Apollo mentioned when Will tuned back in.

Nico's expression tightened with annoyance. "Well, Leo isn't here. He died. Then he came back to life. And then he disappeared again. We had thought he disappeared with the others. When I see him again, I'll kill him."

Will elbowed him. "No, you won't." He turned to his father. "During the fight with Gaea, Leo and his bronze dragon, Festus, disappeared in a midair fiery explosion."

"He was looking for the physician's cure," Apollo recalled, "the way to bring someone back from the dead. I suppose he planned all along to sacrifice himself?"

"Yep," Will said. "He got rid of Gaea in the explosion, but we all assumed he died too."

"Because he _did_ ," Nico said.

"Then, a few weeks later," Will continued, "Nico started looking for him, searching all over the globe for him. He eventually found him, brought him back. He stayed for a while. But then, on the morning of the first disappearance, he and Calypso went missing. This scroll was found on his bed…."

"I still have it." Nico rummaged through the pockets of his bomber jacket. He produced a thick parchment scroll. As soon as he spread it on the table, a flickering hologram appeared above the surface: Leo Valdez.

"Hey, guys!" Leo spread his arms for a hug. "Sorry to leave you like that. We're both fine now. We're taking Festus to—" The image guttered like a flame in a strong breeze, disrupting Leo's voice. "Back as soon as—" Static. "Cook tacos when—" More static. " _¡Vaya con queso!_ Love Ya!" The image winked out.

"That's all we got," Nico complained. "And that was two weeks ago."

"Well," Apollo said, "it sounds like Leo was planning to cook tacos. Perhaps that took longer than he anticipated. And _Vaya con queso_ …I believe he is admonishing us to _go with cheese_ , which is always sound advice."

"I don't like being in the dark," he muttered. "About the disappearances or where Leo went."

Kayla and Austin had been very quiet, following the conversation with wonder and amazement. Now Kayla scooted toward Apollo. "What did you guys talk about in the Big House? Chiron told you about the disappearances…?"

"Yes," Apollo said, nervously. "We discussed the situation."

"And?" Austin spread his fingers on the table. "What's going on?"

"I need time to think about it," Apollo said. Will picked up on the anxiety behind his words. "Perhaps in the morning, I'll have some of my godly powers back."

Austin leaned forward. "Is that how it works? Your strength comes back over time?"

"I—I think so," He paused for a moment, in thought. "I have to get stronger. I _must_."

Kayla squeezed her father's hand. "It's okay, Apollo…Dad. We'll help you."

Austin nodded. "Kayla's right. We're in this together. If anybody gives you trouble, Kayla will shoot them. Then I'll curse them so bad they'll be speaking in rhyming couplets for weeks."

"Thank you," Apollo managed, tears coming to his eyes.

"Hey…" Will patted my shoulder. "It's not so bad. At least with everybody being on high alert, we might not have to do Harley's obstacle course tomorrow."

Kayla muttered an ancient Greek curse.

"I forgot all about that," she said. "They'll _have_ to cancel it, won't they?"

"What obstacle course? Chiron mentioned nothing about this." Apollo questioned.

"Yeah, I'm lost too," Nico said. Will forgot that Nico had been absent for the last couple of obstacle courses run by Harley. He had been shadow-traveling or in the infirmary; it was always something

Before Will could answer, one of the satyrs blew a conch horn at the head table.

Chiron raised his arms for attention.

"Campers!" His voice filled the pavilion. "I have a few announcements, including news about tomorrow's three-legged death race!"


	21. Chapter 21: Battle Scars

AN: I really want to reread all the PJO and HoO books but thats a really big commitment tbh. Again PLEASE don't sue me Disney, thank you!

Disclaimer: All rights reserved to Rick Riordan. I own nothing, but the plot.

This story discusses themes of self-harm, anxiety, and depression. Trigger warning. Do not read if any of these things upset you. Trigger warning!

Criticism is appreciated, but please no hate. Please review and leave suggestions! Enjoy!

* * *

Nico's POV:

After addressing the disappearance of Miranda Gardiner—"As a precautionary measure, please stay away from the woods until we know more"—Chiron called forward the young son of Hephaestus to explain how the three-legged death race would work.

It was just another typical training exercise offered by Camp. Nico was honestly questioning how Harley had convinced Chiron to let him create such an insane obstacle course. Harley's ADHD made Nico's look non-existent.

Chiron raised his hand for silence as Harley mentioned death. "Now, I know there were problems last time," he said, "but fortunately our healers in the Apollo cabin were able to reattach Paolo's arms."

At a table in the back, a muscular teen boy rose and began ranting in Portuguese. He wore a white tank top over his dark chest, and Nico could see faint white scars around the tops of his biceps. Cursing rapidly, he pointed at Harley, the Apollo cabin, and pretty much everyone else. Nico remembered Will mentioning having to reattach Paolo's limbs and how difficult the son of Hebe had been.

"Ah, thank you, Paolo," Chiron said, clearly baffled. "I'm glad you are feeling better."

Austin leaned toward Apollo and started whispering.

"Paolo seems agitated," Apollo noted.

Will shrugged. "He's lucky he's a fast healer—son of Hebe, goddess of youth, and all that."

"You're staring," Nico noted, watching his boyfriend take in the attractive son of Hebe.

"I am not," Will said. "I am merely assessing how well Paolo's arms are functioning after surgery."

"Hmph."

Paolo finally sat down. Nico tuned out Chiron as he talked about the risks and the rules. "Are you competing, Will?"

Will nodded as Malcolm asked a question.

"Chiron, just going to throw this out there….We've had three campers disappear. Is it really wise to be running a dangerous obstacle course?"

Chiron gave him a pained smile. "An excellent question, Malcolm, but this course will not take you into the woods, which we believe is the most hazardous area. The satyrs, dryads, and I will continue to investigate the disappearances. We will not rest until our missing campers are found. In the meantime, however, this three-legged race can foster important team-building skills. It also expands our understanding of the Labyrinth."

Nico's eyes widened. "What?"

Will looked at Nico. "Yeah, I'm sure I told you about that? The course goes through the Labyrinth."

Nico felt a small spark of fear go through him. He had spent months in that maze, lost and hopeless. He had trained with Minos down there; it was where he first got a handle on his powers. But, it was also a place of fear, shame, and loneliness. "Oh. When did that happen? I mean, when did it reopen?"

"During the war with Gaea," Austin said, "We've been trying to map it ever since."

"Mapping it?" Nico whispered to Will. "What have I been missing?"

Will shrugged. "You don't always participate in camp activities. In fact, I'm pretty sure it has been months since you actually attended a class."

"I have been doing other stuff." Nico defended.

"I know. But you can be surprised when you miss the goings-on of Camp."

"Also keep in mind," Chiron was saying, "that none of the unfortunate disappearances has been linked to the Labyrinth. Remain with your partner and you should be safe…at least, as safe as one can be in a three-legged death race."

"Yeah," Harley said. "Nobody has even _died_ yet." He sounded disappointed as if he wanted us to try harder.

"In the face of a crisis," Chiron said, "it's important to stick to our regular activities. We must stay alert and in top condition. Our missing campers would expect no less from us. Now, as to the teams for the race, you will be allowed to choose your partner—"

Nico looked to Will. "Will be my partner?"

Will nodded. "Of course. I usually team up with Cecil-" he trailed off.

Nico gave him a reassuring smile and put his hand on his shoulder. "Hey, I will be your buddy. We will get through this. Together."

Chiron struck his hoof against the floor. "All right, everyone, settle down! The race will be tomorrow afternoon. Thank you, Harley, for your hard work on the…um, various lethal surprises in store. This brings us to our other news," Chiron said. "As you may have heard, two special newcomers joined us today. First, please welcome the god Apollo!"

The entire camp turned to look at the god. Nico stopped himself from hiding; he wasn't used to having so many eyes on him, even though the camp was pretty empty. He hadn't had attention on him since the trial.

Anxiety overtook him today. Apollo's arrival was unearthing some difficult memories for Nico. He eventually tuned back in.

"Thank you, Sherman," Chiron continued. "It's good to know you won't be giving the god of archery a swirly. As for the rest of you, we will keep you posted on our guest's situation. I'm sending two of our finest satyrs, Millard and Herbert"—he gestured to the satyrs on his left—"to hand-deliver a message to Rachel Dare in New York. With any luck, she will be able to join us soon and help determine how we can best assist Apollo."

At a nearby table, a girl muttered to herself in Italian: _The blind leading the blind._

"Who is she?" Nico asked, picking up on her Italian.

"Chiara Benvenut, child of Tyche," Will answered.

"…when did she come to Camp?" Nico questioned.

"Sometime in November, I think. I was here for Thanksgiving and she was sorted in. You were asleep when she arrived."

Nico shrugged. "I should probably start paying more attention."

"Agreed."

"Finally," Chiron said, "we welcome a new demigod to camp—Meg McCaffrey!"

She wiped her mouth and stood.

Next to her, Alice, daughter of Hermes, said, "Stand up, Meg." Julia Feingold laughed.

At the Ares table, Sherman Yang rose. "Now _this_ one—this one deserves a special welcome. What do you think, Connor?"

Connor reached into his backpack. "I think maybe the canoe lake."

Sherman Yang strode toward Meg. Connor Stoll pulled out a golden net and threw it over her head. Meg yelped and tried to squirm free.

Nico watched with interest, remembering when he had gotten dunked in the toilet as a camper. He had laughed it off but had avoided the Ares cabin for a couple weeks after. He hadn't been powerful enough to fight them off, but because he was young and hadn't caused any problems, as Percy had when he arrived at Camp, they had let him off easy. Percy's toilet explosion was legendary in Camp Half-Blood history.

A guttural howl interrupted the proceedings. From the top of the colonnade, a blur of chubby flesh, leafy wings, and linen diaper hurtled downward and landed on Sherman's back, knocking him face-first into the stone floor.

Nico drew his sword, ready to fight whatever monster had invaded camp. It had been a while since he had been in battle, only really dealing with spirits with his father, so he felt a little nervous, but he held himself steady.

"Get it off!" Connor wailed, thrashing blindly around the pavilion, as what looked like a Mandrake from _Harry Potter_ attacked him. "Get it off!"

 _"_ _C'è_ _un karpos!"_ yelled the Italian girl.

"Kill it!" said Alice Miyazawa.

Kayla notched an arrow.

"Peaches, get off him!" Meg screamed. She untangled herself from the net.

The karpos hopped off Connor's neck. He landed at Meg's feet, baring his fangs.

"Meg, get out of the way," Nico said, "That thing is dangerous."

"No!" Meg's voice was shrill. "Don't kill him!"

Sherman Yang rolled over, groaning. Blood was running down his face.

Nico heard Will intake a breath, heading over to the son of Ares as multiple things happened at once.

Julia charged. Kayla shot her arrow. Meg thrust out her hands and a faint gold light flashed between her fingers. Suddenly, she was holding two swords, made from Imperial gold. Nico stopped himself from moving forward, shocked at seeing the Roman weapons.

Both her blades whirled. Meg simultaneously sliced Kayla's arrow out of the air and disarmed Julia, sending her dagger skittering across the floor.

"What the Hades?" Connor demanded. His hair had been pulled out in chunks so he looked like an abused doll. "Who _is_ this kid?"

Meg fended off the confused and enraged demigods with her two swords. Nico started pulling demigods back, realizing that Meg was defending the karpos.

Nico also stepped back as a shining light appeared over Meg's head. It was a golden sickle with a few sheaves of wheat.

A boy in the crowd gasped. "She's a communist!"

Nico stopped himself from snorting as Billie said: "No, Damien, that's my _mom's_ symbol." Her face went slack as the truth sank in. "Uh, which means…it's _her_ mom's symbol."

"My friend is no longer unclaimed," Apollo announced.

Nico knelt down.

"Ladies and gentlemen," Apollo said. "please give it up for Meg McCaffrey, daughter of Demeter."

* * *

Will's POV:

After the awe of Meg's claim had subsided, he headed over to Sherman. He knelt down, looking at his head.

"You feel okay, Yang?"

Sherman nodded and then instantly regretted it. "Yeah. Ow."

Will examined the wound, lightly probing around the incision. The wound was mostly superficial, but he needed stitches. Will grabbed a cloth napkin from one of the tables. He gave it to Sherman. "Hold this to the wound while we go to the Infirmary."

Sherman took the napkin and held it to his head. Will grabbed his arm and started to lead him to the infirmary. He tried to gain eye contact with Nico, but the son of Hades had disappeared into the shadows.

He saw Kayla and Austin helping up Connor, following Will and Sherman to the Infirmary. Will opened the Big House and then the door to the Infirmary.

He led Sherman over to one of the beds. He grabbed some rubbing alcohol, as well as a needle and thread. He stood in front of the son of Ares. "You can take that napkin off now."

Sherman removed the cloth, blood caking onto the cloth as well as on his forehead. Will removed the cap from the alcohol and poured some on a clean cloth.

"This is going to sting." He warned. He put the alcohol on the wound. Sherman flinched back, but Will continued pressing the cloth to his forehead. He disinfected the wound and cleaned up the dried blood.

He vaguely heard Kayla, Austin, and Connor enter the infirmary. Connor was complaining about something, so Will tuned it out. He focused back at the task at hand. He turned to one of the cabinets and grabbed a numbing agent. He spread this across the torn skin on Sherman's forehead. He then took his needle and thread and quickly stitched seven stitches into the son of Ares' forehead. Sherman winced a couple of times but did not make any sounds of distress.

After about ten minutes, Will looked at his handiwork. It wasn't his best stitch job, but it got the job done. "You are probably going to have a scar."

Sherman shrugged. "I don't really mind that much. Scars are badges of honor."

"Especially when attacked by demon babies of wheat," Connor grumbled from his bed.

 _But not all the scars should be honored_ Will thought, absentmindedly rubbing at his wrist. He had not put the blade to his skin since Nico had broken up with him right before the Solstice. He had felt no need to; he didn't do it often, only doing it to punish himself for failing to save a life, or ruining something good.

"You are good to go," Will said absently, dismissing the son of Ares. He walked past Kayla, Austin, and Connor to exit the Infirmary. They called after him, but he ignored them, mind racing. He opened the door to the cold winter air. He headed straight to the Apollo cabin. When he arrived, he sat on the stairs, giving himself time to think.

He remembered back to the Battle of the Labyrinth, when his older brother, Lee, had been killed. Will, one of the strongest healers of the cabin even then, had failed to save him. Too many other lives had been lost. Will, who had been around thirteen at the time, barely knew what he had been doing. The guilt of failure had overwhelmed Will. He had torn into his skin badly that night.

Fast forward to the Battle of Olympus. So much bloodshed, so many lives lost. Will lost more lives than he saved. He had been enlisted to save Annabeth's life. And he had almost lost her. He had visions of his own hands, stained with the blood of the demigods he had lost, for weeks. The scars lining his arms had multiplied tenfold.

But, the battle had also bestowed upon Will a great responsibility: Michael Yew, the head counselor, and Will's older brother, had gone missing, and later reported to be dead by none other than Nico di Angelo himself. Will felt the weight of the world fall onto his shoulders, as he became the new head counselor, the cabin looking up to him and the entire camp expecting aid and healing from the Apollo cabin. Will's strength was healing, but now he was expected to show mastery of his father's other skills: archery, music, poetry, sunshine. He had never mastered archery, his fighting skills far behind his cabin and most of the camp. Will had never been on a quest before, never been in real battle before, instead usually playing medic.

Over the next couple of years, the Prophecy of the Seven being fulfilled, most of the quests had taken place away from camp, allowing Will to become more comfortable in his position, mastering more of the necessary skills. He had gotten somewhat of a handle on music (at least in respect to guitar, not singing) as well as blubbering out some really cheesy poetry. Getting a control of the manipulation of sunlight was challenging for all Apollo children. Will could sometimes do it, managing to expel the dark energy from Nico at desperate times, but it was incredibly draining.

In that time of the Seven Prophecy, Will had reconciled with his mother, eventually starting to return home to Florida. He had relatively kept up with his studies in his time away from his mother and school, the camp offering the appropriate general education courses. Eventually, he did return to school, only returning to Camp for summer and winter breaks, as Percy Jackson and so many other campers did. That's when Kayla had stepped in as his right hand, taking over as the head counselor when Will was home in Florida.

When the Heroes of Olympus returned to Camp Half-Blood, bringing the Battle of Gaea with them, Will felt more prepared than he had in either of the other two battles of the Camp. He still lost lives and patients, scars still appearing on his skin, but he had also found a distraction in the son of Hades.

He had first met Nico when the di Angelo siblings had first come to Camp. The son of Hades was so full of joy. Will felt a close connection with him and an attraction that he couldn't place, not understanding his sexuality just yet. Then, Bianca died, and Nico was never the same. He disappeared from camp. And as time went on, Will barely thought about Nico di Angelo.

The Battle of the Labyrinth brought Nico back to Camp, showing off his newfound powers as the offspring of Hades. Will remembers watching as Nico summoned so many undead warriors, eventually collapsing, clothes smoking. Will wanted to help, but Percy had reached the son of Hades first. When he recovered, he released the soul of Daedalus. The weeks after, Will observed as Nico isolated himself from the rest of the Camp, not participating in any camp activities. The son of Hades left camp again before Will had worked up the courage to go talk to him.

When the Battle for Olympus came around, Nico was one of the first demigods to join the battle. Will had been in awe of the son of Hades and his seemingly infinite powers. Instead of being fearful of Nico's strengths, Will was infatuated by them. It was during that battle that his crush on Nico had solidified. He returned to Camp, building his own cabin, and started to get accepted by the rest of the camp. But unfortunately, he isolated himself again, shutting himself off from the rest of the Camp. He disappeared before Percy went missing.

The next couple of years, Nico showed up occasionally, but never long enough for Will to establish a friendship. Will now knew that this was because of his double duty as an ambassador to Camp Jupiter. He eventually searched for the Doors of Death and was pulled into Tartarus. After the quest, he returned to Camp Half-Blood and helped defeat Gaea.

Now, Nico was here, but he wanted to leave Camp again. Will didn't understand why Nico felt so out of place at Camp. Probably had something to do with Bianca and his journey through Tartarus had also changed the son of Hades drastically. He just wanted to make Nico understand that he had a home.

His thoughts were disturbed by the arrival of Kayla and Austin.

"You okay, Will?" Austin asked. "You left the Infirmary pretty quickly."

Will nodded. He wasn't necessarily happy with his siblings and their harsh words towards Nico, but they were family and Will knew they were just looking to for him. "Just a lot on my mind. How's Connor?"

"Salty that he lost half his hair, but it will grow back so he will be fine," Kayla explained. "We just put some healing salve on it."

"Good. It could have been a lot worse." Will said, standing up.

"Thankfully Meg appears to have some control over the monster." Austin pointed out.

Will nodded. "It's been a crazy couple of days."

"It really has; let's check on how Apollo is holding up."

They entered the cabin. "Is he okay?" whispered Kayla.

Austin said, "Would you be if you were him?"

A moment of silence. "Try to get some sleep, guys," Will advised.

"This is crazy weird," Kayla said. "He looks so…human."

"We'll watch out for him," Austin said. "We're all he's got now."

A blanket was draped over me.

Will said, "Sleep well, Apollo."

He crept towards the door.

"Where are you going?" Kayla whispered.

"I need to go check on Nico." Kayla and Austin exchanged a look, but Will was already out of the cabin.


	22. Chapter 22: Connection

Disclaimer: All rights reserved to Rick Riordan. I own nothing, but the plot.

This story discusses themes of self-harm, anxiety, and depression. Trigger warning. Do not read if any of these things upset you. Trigger warning!

Criticism is appreciated, but please no hate. Please review and leave suggestions! Enjoy!

* * *

Nico's POV:

He heard a knock on the door. He slid off his bed and went to open the door, revealing Will Solace.

"As bad as I am with following rules, so are you. You are currently breaking the curfew and buddy system rule." Nico joked. "I am going to have to report you to Chiron."

Will rolled his eyes, pushing his way into the cabin. "You owe me some answers. More information about the meeting, as well as what you appear to know about Python."

Nico felt fear go through him again. "I know what you know. The lessons that the Athena cabin taught. He was your father's greatest foe. He had retaken the Oracle of Delphi. And that's all-"

"Bullshit," Will cut Nico off. "You wouldn't have been as on edge as you were earlier today if it had just been that. Did you face him down there?"

Nico shook his head. "No, I never faced Python. But, while I was traveling with the Giants, they were talking of the monster. And I could sense it. His raw and ancient power. His stench. He was down there at the same time as me. He got out through the Doors of Death."

"Tartarus," Will said. He put his hand on Nico's cheek. "It truly follows you everywhere, doesn't it?" His words were exactly what Nico had said earlier in the day.

He sighed heavily. "One of these days, I'm going to have to face what I went through. Process all the fear that I have been repressing."

Will nodded. "Otherwise, it is all going to explode from you, and that result won't be good."

Nico turned away. "My father said he would help me."

"And that's why you are planning to leave camp." Will mentioned.

Nico turned back to Will, seeing the sadness in the other boy's eyes. "I'm not abandoning you. Not until we figure this thing out, okay? Finding Cecil, helping your father. I promise that I won't just leave."

Will smiled softly. "I appreciate that."

The boys were silent for another moment before Will spoke again. "We should probably get some sleep before Sherman's boot camp and Harley's course."

"Yeah, I'm not doing Sherman's boot camp," Nico said.

"Why?"

"Because I don't really want Sherman to try and train me to death. He is going to be pissy, especially after yesterday with Meg." Nico reminded.

"Still doing the obstacle course?" Will asked.

Nico nodded. "I said I would and I will."

Nico hadn't given much thought about the course. The fact that it was through the Labyrinth intimidated Nico. He hadn't been down in that place in so long. He was there briefly when they were escaping the Doors of Death, but that had been it since he had resided there for months. He had lost so many hours of his life hiding in the maze. Yes, he became unbelievably powerful, but he had also been more isolated than ever before in his life. He didn't know if he was ready to face the maze, but he didn't really have much of a choice. He had already committed to doing it for Will. And if the other campers could do it, he could too.

Will's snap got his attention. "Hello? You zoned out."

"What? Oh, yeah, I was just thinking of the course. So even you've been in the Labyrinth since it's reopened?"

Will nodded, watching Nico's reaction as he spoke. "Yeah, its really mellowed out. The only danger down there is Harley's obstacles."

"That makes me feel so much better, thanks Will," Nico said sarcastically.

"You are going to be fine. Besides, I will be down there with you to protect you." Will reassured.

"Yeah, because your skills with the bow and arrow are impeccable."

"Hey now, I can throw a mean scalpel." Will tried to put on a threatening face, but Nico merely rolled his eyes.

"Will Solace and Nico di Angelo, against the world armed with some shadows and a scalpel." Nico joked.

"The most terrifying duo in the world." Will played along.

"C'mon, superhero, let's get some sleep."

* * *

Nico screamed himself awake from a nightmare. He had been dreaming of the Labyrinth and the pits within the maze that lead straight to Tartarus. He was breathing heavily as he sat up, looking around, making sure he wasn't still in the maze. He was in his cabin and Will was gone. He must have left for Sherman's boot camp.

He was glad that Will hadn't seen him coming out of his nightmare. The dream had felt so real. He could feel the specter Minos' breath down his neck. The ghost had grabbed his wrist in the dream, squeezing him and somehow fracturing the wrist, even though it was impossible. The king had been a spirit, only ever passing through Nico. But in this nightmare, he had hurt Nico, trying to throw Nico in the pit when he refused to cooperate.

Nico put his hands over his face. He gasped, feeling pain in his wrist. He looked at his wrist in the sunlight that was filtering in through the blinds. It was bruised. He bent it experimentally. Pain shot through his arm. He wasn't a healer like Will, but he could tell the wrist was fractured.

This wasn't the first time it had happened to Nico. He had been trapped in a nightmare after Aaron had injured him. He had repeatedly gotten injured, making it difficult to heal him. He had also had other dreams where he had gotten injured in the dreamscape and then it transferred over to reality.

He remembered Chiron had mentioned a god or goddess interfering with his dreams. He had no idea who would want to hurt him. In the few lessons he had gotten when attending Camp as well as information from his father, he didn't know who the god/goddess of nightmares was if there even was one.

He knew that Hypnos was the god of sleep and Phobos the god of fear, but he had done nothing to piss either of those gods off. And he didn't think his father had a feud with either of the two beings. Nico would have to talk to his father when the whole mess with Apollo/Lester was over. He couldn't afford to continue getting injured in dreams and in the real world.

He got up from his bed, holding his fractured wrist to his chest. He walked over to his dresser and pulled out a bottle of nectar. He had been hoarding nectar and ambrosia from Will, who always had extras. Whenever Will mentioned there being ambrosia missing, Nico suddenly remembered something he had to do.

He went into the bathroom to heal his wrist. This was one of the few cabins that actually had a bathroom in it, a perk of designing his own cabin and being one of two known children of Hades. He poured the bottle of nectar over his wrist. The relief was instantaneous, but he would have to be careful not to refracture the wrist or let Will notice. Which would be difficult, considering that they were going to be attached at the ankle during the obstacle course.

He grabbed a bandage from the drawer, also which he had borrowed from the Infirmary. Now, Nico wasn't a son of Hermes, known for their thievery, but he had picked up a few things from his short time living in that cabin. He thought, with nostalgia, to that time, when he was young and carefree, as he poured himself a cup of coffee from the machine he stole from the Big House. Will had brewed and left some out for him. He was only fourteen, but he had the soul and baggage of an eighty-year-old.

He sipped on the coffee, which he recognized as Italian Roast. He remembered a prank that Leo had pulled, lighting Nico's sleeve on fire, saying he was an Italian Roasted. Nico had later gotten his revenge by shadow traveling Leo to an active volcano and dropping him inside. Needless to say, once he got out, Leo hadn't tried to pull any more pranks on Nico.

He bent his wrist again to test how the nectar was working. It was tender, but the pain was manageable. He removed his training gloves from Hazel from the drawer. He took off his silver skull ring, as it would not fit on with the gloves. He pulled those onto his hands. They covered the bandage, so as long as Nico didn't take them off, Will wouldn't notice. One problem fixed.

He looked at his phone which was on the bedside table. It was 11 o'clock. Breakfast was usually held around 7 or 8 am. The boot camp was being held right after breakfast. And then, there were two or three classes before lunch. Nico knew relatively how the schedule at Camp went, but only followed it when he had been new to the Camp.

He looked at the head counselor sheet on his bedside table as well. It showed the schedule of activities for the week, and which cabins had claimed which time slots. Chiron gave this sheet to Nico when he showed up to one of the head counselor meetings, but Nico never picked any activities for his cabin (aka only himself).

The list had the various activities (archery, arts & crafts, music, rock climbing, sword training, Ancient Greek, history, etc) as well as camp-wide events (boot camp, obstacle courses, Capture the flag) and their times. Head counselors would write their cabin's schedule on the paper and it would automatically appear on every paper for all the cabins (compliments of the Hecate cabin). But, because it was winter and there were so few demigods at camp, individual campers could pick which activities they did.

Nico looked at the sheet to see where Will and Apollo were. He wanted to see how Apollo, as a mortal, would handle camp. He saw that Will was scheduled for training in the Infirmary. He saw Apollo was in the amphitheater for a music lesson with Austin. Nico grinned at the thought of Apollo showing up his son.

He gripped his cup of coffee and started to make his way over to the amphitheater. He heard some instruments as he approached and then heard the sounds of yelling. He walked into the amphitheater as Apollo was reaching for a guitar. Nico leaned against a pillar, hidden in the shadows and watched as the former god replaced the string. His movements were identical to how Will had done it when Nico had watched him fool around on his guitar.

Apollo adjusted the pitch. Nico felt his heartstrings pull. He knew that music was a great way to express emotion, as Will had told him time and time again, but this was different. It's like the guitar could express any emotion in the world

"That was so beautiful!" Valentina, a daughter of Aphrodite, wiped a tear from her cheek. "What was that song?"

"It's called tuning." Apollo blinked in surprise.

"Yeah, Valentina, control yourself," Damien, son of Nemesis, chided, though his eyes were red. "It wasn't _that_ beautiful."

"No." Chiara sniffled. "It wasn't."

Nico watched as Apollo played through scales. He felt tears come to his eyes, the guitar wreaking havoc on his emotions.

"Now this is a Lydian progression," Apollo said. "It starts on the fourth of the major scale. They say it's called Lydian after the old kingdom of Lydia, but actually, I named it for an old girlfriend of mine, Lydia. She was the fourth woman I dated that year, so…"

Valentina lay on the amphitheater bench, silently shaking. Woodrow was pulling apart his panpipes.

"I'm worthless!" he sobbed. "Worthless!"

Nico felt the saddest memories coming to mine when Apollo strummed a chord that was intentionally out of tune. He started playing more.

"Yeah, man." Austin brought his violin to his chin and began to improvise. His resin bow danced across the strings. Nico rolled his eyes when he started playing, but even he had to admit that Austin had skills.

Woodrow, the satyr sobbed, interrupting. "That's amazing. You two should be teaching the class. What was I thinking? Please don't flay me!"

"My dear satyr," Apollo said, but he stopped as he dropped the guitar. The instrument tumbled down the stone steps of the amphitheater.

Austin lowered his bow. "You okay?"

"I…yes, of course. I'm…tired," Apollo said, dismayed.

"Well, yeah." Valentina nodded. "The way you were playing was _unreal_!"

"It's okay, Apollo," Austin said. "You'll get stronger. When demigods use their powers, especially at first, they get tired quickly."

"But I'm not…" Nico could tell the former god was distressed.

Damien White balled his fists. "Don't you worry, Apollo. It's not your fault. I'll make that stupid guitar pay for this!"

Nico watched as the son of Nemesis destroyed the guitar to kindling. Will would be distraught. Chiara, the Italian girl from the other night, huffed. " _Idiota!_ Now I'll never get my turn!"

Woodrow winced. "Well, um…thanks, everyone! Good class!" The satyr scampered off, terrified of the former god. He ran past Nico, but did not see the son of Hades. Apollo and Austin were conversing. Valentina was fixing her makeup, which had been ruined by her tears. Damien and Chiara were walking from the amphitheater, fighting.

Nico wanted to know more about this girl, feeling a connection with her because of her knowledge of Italian. The two campers walked past. This was his chance.

"Mi scusi?" He called. Chiara and Damien turned towards him. They looked shocked to see him. Nico was shocked at himself, for being social.

"Sì?" Chiara answered, coming closer to Nico.

"Mi dispiace disturbarti, I wanted to introduce myself." Nico said. "I am-"

"Nico di Angelo. Lo so." Chiara interrupted. Damien left the two to converse. "I have heard stories about you, son of Hades."

Nico felt himself go red as he turned away. "Okay, nevermind."

"No, aspetta." She grabbed his arm. He turned back to her. She smiled. "What were you going to say?"

"Ti ho sentito parlare italiano a cena. Sono da Italia. And so few people know the language. I guess… I just wanted to speak it again." Nico said, sheepishly.

Chiara's eyes lit up. "Capisco! Amo la lingua. My papa and I lived in Italy, but it was unsafe for me to live there because of monsters. So we moved to New York and a satyr found me. Sono qui adesso."

"Da dove vieni, in Italia?" Nico asked, wanting where she lived.

"Venice." She said, eyes sparkling. "Mi manca molto."

"Ci ho vissuto anche io." Nico was happy he and the girl shared the same hometown. "I miss it as well, but I do not remember it well."

"Forse potremmo visitare un giorno." Chiara suggested. "It could be fun!"

"I have wanted to visit for a while-" Nico trailed off, realizing that he had visited recently. When he was trying to get away from Aaron when he had attacked him at the trial, he had shadow travelled to his old home. He shook his head, clearing it of the thought. "Anyway, I just wanted to say hi."

"Lo apprezzo. I have to go to my next lesson, but it was wonderful to talk to you, Nico. Ciao."

"You as well." He waved his farewell as she ran off. "Ciao."

* * *

Translations:

Mi scusi- excuse me

Lo so- I know

No, aspetta- No wait

Ti ho sentito parlare italiano a cena. Sono da Italia.- I heard you speaking Italian at dinner. I am from Italy

Capisco- I understand

Amo la lingua- I love the language.

Sono qui adesso- Now, I'm here

Mi manca molto- I miss it a lot

Ci ho vissuto anche io- I lived there as well

Forse potremmo visitare un giorno- Maybe we could visit one day

Lo apprezzo- I appreciate that


	23. Chapter 23: Unprepared

Disclaimer: All rights reserved to Rick Riordan. I own nothing, but the plot.

This story discusses the themes of self-harm, anxiety, and depression. Trigger warning. Do not read if any of these things upset you. Trigger warning!

Criticism is appreciated, but please no hate. Please review and leave suggestions! Enjoy!

* * *

Will's POV:

He was absentmindedly unwrapping and rewrapping an ace bandage around his wrist as he sat on one of the beds. He was bored. Chiron had sent him to the Infirmary for a shift and to take inventory. No one was in the hospital right now, and most of the supplies were accounted for. The rest, he knew, were in the son of Hades cabin. Nico's stealing had not gone unnoticed by the son of Apollo, but he had not said anything.

He felt awful, but he wished for a sprained ankle or dagger wound. Something that would ease the boredom. He immediately took back his wish, cursing himself for thinking such terrible things. Who wished for someone else to be in pain?

Nico had, Will realized, remembering their conversation from the previous day. He had wished for the son of Ares to die. Will understood why, but that didn't make it right. Wishing for someone's death was bad enough. Actually carrying out the deed was unfathomable to Will. He was a healer, not a destroyer.

Of course, sometimes, it had to be done; Will wasn't naive. He realized that some people were beyond saving, beyond redemption. The demigods who had worked for Luke had needed to be taken care of, so warped by Kronos and their hate for the Olympians. In the case of Octavian, he understood that those events had to play out.

But murder in cold-blood, in revenge… he shivered at the thought. He hated Aaron and wanted him to pay for what he had done to Nico, but killing him was not the answer. He remembered back to when Nico had first been injured. Will would have shown no mercy then, but he had been unbelievably worried and concerned about his boyfriend. Aaron had almost killed him.

That damn son of Ares could not seem to get out of Nico and Will's lives. As a healer, he knew how long the healing of some scars could take, but he hoped that this scar would eventually heal for Nico. Nico didn't deserve to live with the burden for the rest of his life. It had destroyed him physically but had also devastated his mental health. Will closed his eyes. How much damage and pain could Nico take before he finally shattered.

Nico was not weak; On the contrary, he was the strongest demigod Will had ever met. But, even the strongest have to let their guard down and break sometimes. Nico had broken down on more than one occasions with Will. His lowest points were when he had hurt himself. But, somehow, Nico had always pulled himself back up, by himself, living to fight another day. He had faced more than most people do in a lifetime in a short fifteen years (not counting the years spent in the Lotus Hotel). He carried as much pain and baggage as the gods of Olympus. Yet, he didn't shatter. Sure, pieces broke off and he had some holes, but he was still together.

Will wondered how long that would last. He did not want to lose his boyfriend. He wanted to find those missing pieces and repair those holes. Every time he made a little progress, someone or something disturbed the healing, starting the boys at square one. Will didn't want to change the person Nico was. He just wanted what Nico wanted; he wanted Nico to be happy, to be okay, to be healthy. At one point in his life, he was. He could have that again.

His thoughts were interrupted by the door opening. Speak of the devil, Nico di Angelo walked into the doors, a cup of coffee in his hands.

"Good morning," Nico said... cheerfully?

Will scrunched his eyebrows. "Why do you have that look on your face?"

Nico's face turned to one of confusion. "What look?"

"That upside-down grimace. What's wrong?"

Nico laughed quietly as he approached Will. "I'm smiling you dumbass."

Will greeted Nico with a kiss. "I'm just giving you a hard time. What are you so happy about?"

Nico turned red. Will saw embarrassment take over the son of Hades. "Oh- it's kinda dumb. Nothing really happened. You wouldn't really want to know."

"Tell me anyway."

Nico looked down at his feet before meeting Will's eyes. "You know that girl, Chiara." Will nodded. "I talked with her. We were speaking Italian. She's from Venice too."

"That's really cool!" Will felt warmth go through him. Nico was being social.

"Yeah, it just made me happy to speak the language again." Nico murmured, looking to the ground.

"I love when you speak Italian, mio amore." Will remarked, remembering those words when Nico had taught them to him. "Even though I don't have any idea what you are saying."

"Che posso usare a mio vantaggio," Nico said, looking playful.

Will grinned, kissing Nico on the forehead as he brought him closer. Nico was standing in between his legs, so Will wrapped his legs loosely around the son of Hades. "No idea what you just said, but it was absolutely beautiful."

"Mai bello come te." Nico continued.

Will laughed. "So what did you do this morning, besides socializing?"

"I woke up a solid hour ago, so not much."

"Have you eaten today?" Will asked.

Nico held up his empty cup of coffee, placing it on the table next to the bed.

"That's all?" Will asked, concerned. As much as he harassed Nico about eating every meal, Nico was still skinny. Anytime Will didn't make him, he figured that the son of Hades didn't eat.

Nico scowled, trying to pull away, but Will didn't let him. Nico rolled his eyes. "What does it matter? Lunch is coming up soon anyway."

Will wrapped his arms around Nico's waist, pulling him closer. "That doesn't mean you should be skipping meals. You've put on a few pounds since the summer, but not as many as I would like. You are still under-"

Nico interrupted him with a kiss. Will's eyes widened in shock, before he closed them, enjoying the show of affection.

"I'm your boyfriend, Will," Nico said when the kiss ended. "Not one of your patients."

"You are going to become one of my patients again if you keep skipping meals."

Nico scowled again. "It's one meal, Will. Relax."

Will got defensive. "I'm just worried. You were so skinny when you got back to Camp after the quest. And Jason even told me that you barely ate on the _Argo II_ -"

"Will," Nico cut off his rambling. "It's okay, I'm fine now. And you hear that?" The conch horn blew. "It's already lunchtime."

Nico backed up as Will leaped down from the bed. He put his arm around Nico's shoulder. "Well, now we can get some fuel in you before Harley's death course, though the Maze."

If he hadn't had had his arm around Nico's shoulder, he wouldn't have felt the son of Hades tense as he spoke. "Oh, great. I forgot about that."

Will pulled away, standing in front of Nico. "You okay?"

Nico looked at him defensively. "Yeah? Why wouldn't I be?"

"I felt you tense up when I mentioned the maze." Will pointed out.

"I didn't-"

"Nico," Will cut him off. "Don't lie."

Nico held his eye contact for a moment and let it drop. "Yeah, I guess I am just a little nervous about going in there again."

"We don't have to do the maze. We can ask Chiron if you can sit-"

"No." Nico's angry tone surprised Will. The son of Hades looked up and for a moment, Will saw fire in his eyes. "I will not be asking Chiron for anything."

"Okay, but Nico, we shouldn't do the maze if you don't feel comfortable. You don't have to participate."

"So everyone can think I'm weak and struggle with PTSD? So everyone can pity me? I don't think so." Nico spat hatefully. "I'm not as fragile as everyone seems to think I am. I'm not made of glass."

Will put his hands up defensively _So much for his good mood earlier_ "No one is saying that. And I especially do not believe that."

"Then why lecture me about eating every meal?" Nico asked.

"Because I'm trying to make sure you don't become fragile. If you don't eat, you'll lose all the strength you possess." Will explained.

The anger faded a little from Nico's face. "I'm not made of glass just because I faced some shit."

Will approached Nico, placing a kiss on his forehead. "You are not made of glass. The shit you faced made you stronger than anything."

Nico loosely wrapped his arms around Will. His body as still tense with anger, but Will could sense it was slowly fading. "I'm sorry."

Will squeezed him back, before letting go. "We all get angry sometimes. Now, let's get some food before we win this thing."

Will laced his fingers through Nico's, but Nico more or less let his hand hang loose. He wasn't pulling away, but he wasn't returning the gesture either. Nico obviously had a lot on his mind that he wasn't sharing. But, after the way he had just acted, Will was not going to push him.

There was only one thing that Will knew for certain: Nico was not ready to go back into the Labyrinth.

* * *

Nico's POV:

He felt his heart beating quickly. Harley had just told them all to spread out. He didn't really understand how they would get into the maze, considering they were in the middle of a meadow. The satyrs were walking around the meadow, spreading out the teams, and making sure the bonds were secure.

Nico scanned the teams, giving him something to do besides worry about the maze. He gained eye contact with Chiara, who smiled and waved to him. Nico nodded back, greeting the girl as well. Malcolm and Sherman had teamed together, which didn't surprise Nico. Of course, Malcolm would go with the strongest demigod.

Harley clapped his hands, bringing order. "Okay!" He bounced up and down eagerly. "Here's the deal. Each team has to find three golden apples, then get back to this meadow alive."

Grumbling broke out among the demigods. "Why is everything we do at this camp to the death?" Will moaned. "It would make life easier if no one tried to maim or kill anyone."

"Takes away the fun of it." Nico joked.

Laurel Victor raised her hand. "You mean the first team back wins?"

" _Any_ team that gets back alive wins!" Harley said.

"That's ridiculous!" Holly said. "There can only be one winner. The first team back wins!"

Harley shrugged. "Have it your way. _My_ only rules are staying alive, and don't kill each other."

 _"_ _O quê?"_ Paolo started complaining so loudly in Portuguese that Connor had to cover his left ear.

"Now, now!" Chiron called. His saddlebags were overflowing with extra first-aid kits and emergency flares. "We won't need any _help_ making this a dangerous challenge. Let's have a good clean three-legged death race. And another thing, campers, given the problems our test group had this morning, please repeat after me: _Do not end up in Peru_."

"Do not end up in Peru," everyone chanted.

Sherman Yang cracked his knuckles. "So where _is_ the starting line?"

"There is no starting line," Harley said with glee. "You're all starting from right where you are."

Nico looked around in confusion. Suddenly the meadow shook. Dark lines etched across the grass, forming a giant green checkerboard.

"Have fun!" Harley squealed.

"Oh schist," Nico muttered before the ground opened beneath their feet, causing them to fall into the Labyrinth.

They somehow both landed on their feet in the maze, holding each other for support. Nico withdrew his sword for the black light it emitted. As everyone had told him, he felt like the air was cleaner and it was less dark in the maze. The aura of death that the Labyrinth usually gave off had been extremely muted.

"Are you okay?" Will's eyes shone through the dark. Nico realized he had been holding in a breath since they had landed. He allowed himself to release the breath, feeling some of the anxiety fade away.

Nico nodded, not trusting himself to speak. Even though some of the horrors of the maze had been reduced, this was still a dangerous place and associated with some of Nico's worst memories. He felt himself get pulled back in time

* * *

 _"She wanted you to have this." Percy brought a little figurine. Nico took it and just stared at it._

 _"You promised you would protect her," Nico said, anger coming to him._

 _"Nico," Percy said. "I tried. But Bianca gave herself up to save the rest of us. I told her not to. But she—"_

 _"You promised!"_

 _Nico closed his hands around the statue. It bit into his hands, but he didn't care. It hurt less than Percy Jackson, his unrequited crush, failing to keep his promise. It hurt less than losing his best friend._

 _"I shouldn't have trusted you." His voice broke. "You lied to me. My nightmares were right!"_

 _"Wait. What nightmares?"_

 _He flung the god statue to the ground. It clattered across the icy marble. "I hate you!"_

 _"She might be alive," Percy said desperately. "I don't know for sure—"_

 _"She's dead." Nico closed his eyes. His whole body trembled with rage. "I should've known it earlier. She's in the Fields of Asphodel, standing before the judges right now, being evaluated. I can feel it."_

 _"What do you mean, you can feel it?"_

 _Clattering and hissing interrupted Nico's answer. Skeleton appeared inside the boundaries. Nico gaped as Percy withdrew his sword. They grinned fleshless grins and advanced with swords drawn._

 _"You're trying to kill me!" Nico screamed. "You brought these… these things?"_

 _"No! I mean, yes, they followed me, but no! Nico, run. They can't be destroyed."_

 _"I don't trust you!"_

 _The first skeleton charged. Percy knocked aside its blade, but the other three kept coming. Percy sliced one in half, but immediately it began to knit back together. He knocked another's head off but it just kept fighting._

 _"Run, Nico!" Percy yelled. "Get help!"_

 _"No!" He pressed his hands to his ears. Too many things were happening for the small boy. His sister was dead. These skeletons were trying to kill him. Percy was in trouble. "No!" Nico shouted louder. "Go away!"_

 _The ground rumbled beneath the boys. The skeletons froze. Percy rolled out of the way just as a crack opened at the feet of the four warriors. The ground ripped apart like a snapping mouth. Flames erupted from the fissure, and the earth swallowed the skeletons in one loud CRUNCH!_

 _Silence._

 _Nico opened his eyes. In the place where the skeletons had stood, a twenty-foot-long scar wove across the marble floor of the pavilion. Otherwise, there was no sign of the warriors._

 _Awestruck, Percy looked to Nico. "How did you—"_

 _"Go away!" he yelled. "I hate you! I wish you were dead!"_

 _Nico ran down the steps, heading toward the woods. He ran away from Percy Jackson, who had just delivered the worst news of his life. His sister, his beloved Bianca, was dead. Tears freely flowed down his face as he ran away from the gash in the earth he had just made. From the skeletons that he had just made the Underworld swallow up. He realized who he was. He was a son of Hades._

 _He reached the forest, and looked around rapidly, looking for an escape. He could hear Percy calling out for him, but he didn't care. He couldn't stay here anymore. These- monsters had separated him from his sister and caused her death. The one he trusted most and had a crush on couldn't even keep a promise._

 _He reached a large mound of rocks. He slid in between two, trying to hide, but found himself free falling._

 _He hit the ground hard, pain shooting up through his arm. He gasped in pain and cradled his arm close to his chest as he dragged himself over to the wall to lean against it. Tears streamed down his face. He whimpered in pain and frustration. He lost his sister. He had fallen into a ditch. And now, his arm felt broken or fractured._

 _He felt the energy building up inside of him. Anger, sadness, and rage exploded out of him. He hit the ground, hard, screaming at the top of his lungs. His vision went red, and he was unaware of what was happening around him. His only conscious thought was pure rage. He kept screaming until the red in his vision eventually faded. He leaned back against the wall, his arm definitely broken now. He grasped it close to his chest as his eyes rolled into the back of his head._

* * *

Translations:

mio amore- my love

Che posso usare a mio vantaggio- I could use that to my advantage

Mai bello come te- Not as beautiful as you


	24. Chapter 24: Shaping

AN: Hey y'all! So I did decide to reread the series. I am on House of Hades right now, and am getting some good inspiration for future chapters! As you saw in my last chapter, I am having Nico relive his past adventure in the Labyrinth because I think more light should be shed on the challenges he faced when he was ten years old! The Labyrinth (as I read) terrified Percy, Annabeth, Tyson, and Grover, and they were much older and had each other. Chris Rodriguez was driven insane down there. What chance would a ten-year-old stand? That's why I'm exploring it.

Once I finish the Hidden Oracle timeline, I am going to end this story and continue on with a third (or fourth, if you count Healing the Dark parts 1 and 2 as two stories) story! Name TBD. Anyway, enjoy.

Disclaimer: All rights reserved to Rick Riordan. I own nothing, but the plot.

This story discusses the themes of self-harm, anxiety, and depression. Trigger warning. Do not read if any of these things upset you. Trigger warning!

Criticism is appreciated, but please no hate. Please review and leave suggestions! Enjoy!

* * *

Nico's POV:

 _"_ _Well, well, well, someone has caused quite a mess here." A voice woke Nico._

 _Nico sat up gasping, looking around in a panic. He didn't know where he was. Had Percy found him? His eyes landed on a faint shimmering image of a man. He focused more closely and features of the man's appearance became more noticeable. He was very tall and imposing and had on white robes, with a thin royal circlet of gold on his head. He had a spear-blade shaped beard with eyes that glittered cruelly._

 _Nico picked up a pointed rock that was next to him and pointed it towards the specter. The motion hurt his already injured arm, but he held firm. "Get away from me!"_

 _The specter merely held up his hands in surrender. "I mean you no harm, son of Hades."_

 _The fact that he knew he was a son of Hades shortly after Nico himself knew, freaked the boy out. "How do you who I am? Who are you?"_

 _The ghost smiled a creepy smile. "Knowing who you are is easy. Have you seen the destruction you caused?" He gestured around them._

 _Nico looked warily around, the specter lighting up the tunnel. All around him, there was black scorch marks. Nico realized that_ he _had caused them. That energy that had released from him created these black scorch marks. The ground beneath him was steaming and, looking at his arms, those were steaming as well. Had he caused all this damage?_

 _There were also cracks in the floor. One especially large crevice opened, revealing open air beneath Nico. He peered down. He couldn't see anything but darkness, but he felt drawn to the place. He pulled himself back._

 _"_ _Drawn to your father's realm, aren't you, Nico di Angelo?" The ghost asked._

 _Nico gulped down his fear, not releasing the stone he had in his hand. "Who are you? What- what is this place?"_

 _"_ _My apologies, Master," the ghost removed the circlet surrounding his head. He bowed down, the circlet on his chest. He replaced it swiftly. "I am King Minos of Crete, now one of the judges of the Underworld. I was sent to aid you by your own father."_

 _"_ _My father?"_

 _"_ _Yes, my liege. Your father. Ruler of the Underworld. Lord of the Dead." King Minos said. "Have you learned nothing of your history?"_

 _"_ _I- I have. I just-" Nico was on the verge of freaking out, but he needed answers more than anything. "Is that where we are? The Underworld?"_

 _Minos laughed. It was a ghastly sound. "This little tunnel? No, of course not. We are in the Labyrinth!" He spread his arms out and torches flickered on behind and in front of him, bathing the corridor in light._

 _Nico now saw that they were in a tunnel. The walls were brick. The tunnel ends lead in different directions, to different pathways._

 _Nico screwed his face up, trying to remember. "Hang on, I learned about this. The Labyrinth. Didn't that famous inventor guy make it…. Hold on… Daedalus?"_

 _It might have been a trick of the light, but the ghost appeared to flash red, his face angry. As soon as Nico noticed it, it faded. The king had a calm expression on his translucent face. "That is merely a rumor. The maze is my property, not Daedalus's! Very dangerous, unless you know where you are going."_

 _Nico nodded, remembering one of the children of Athena explaining the monsters in the maze, including the Minotaur, which Nico remembered that Percy had beat. Anger went through him again at the thought of the son of Poseidon, as well as, heartbreak. He had put so much faith in Percy. And he had been let down so hard. His feelings warped from an infatuation to a deep hatred._

 _"_ _So, my father sent you? Does he want to meet me?" Nico asked, hopeful. He had lost his mother and sister and been run off from the only other place he had considered a home. Maybe he could reunite with his father._

 _"_ _Not exactly. I am here to guide you through the maze as well as assisting you in your quest for your true potential and extreme power." Minos explained. "Even now, your power and surge of energy summoned me here."_

 _"_ _I- I did that?" Nico was shocked. "I called you here?"_

 _Minos inclined his head. "Yes, my young Master. And your powers will continue to grow."_

 _Nico thought about that. He could be as powerful as Perc-_ Get out of my head _he thought. "I don't really care about power. This much power- having this much power is too much. Too terrifying. And I don't care about finding my way through the Maze." He confessed. "I just-" his voice broke, as tears threatened his eyes again. "I just want my sister back." He looked to the ground._

 _"_ _With the right training, we can make that happen!" The ghost promised._

 _Nico slowly looked up, not daring to believe. "You mean- I- I could have the power to bring my sister back to life?"_

 _Minos clasped his ghostly hands together. "And so much more, son of Hades. I can teach you the ways of the Underworld. Give you power over ghosts, so that maybe you could rise up to become the next Ghost King. Show you how to raise and control the undead. Help you travel, using the shadows. How to manipulate the earth, creating fissures that can send anyone straight to the Underworld. Walk amongst and control dreams. And that is only the beginning."_

 _"_ _What about sword-fighting?" Nico asked, his mind still going back to Percy._

 _"_ _I am not very skilled with a weapon, but we can obtain a weapon for you, fit enough for a king, even a god," Minos promised._

 _The deal seemed too good to be true. This ghost promised to help him become a powerful demigod. But- "Why are you helping me?"_

 _"_ _Because I am a servant," Nico failed to notice how the king's voice caught on the word. "Of your father and the Underworld. Therefore I am a servant of yours. I am yours to command, your highness."_

 _"_ _I want to bring my sister back to life." Nico asserted._

 _"_ _And that is the goal of your training. There is much knowledge to be gained, and many obstacles to overcome before we can reach that point."_

 _Nico scowled. "How long will it take?"_

 _The ghost king considered this, putting his hand on his chin as if thinking. "There is no exact timetable. Bringing someone back from the dead is no easy feat. It takes years of practice and concentration to even summon one soul-"_

 _Nico groaned, putting his hands over his face, feeling the full extent of his injury once again. "You said you could help me!" He felt anger surge through him again. He glared at the ghost. "You are a liar, just like the rest of them."_

 _"_ _Just like Percy Jackson?" Minos suggested._

 _Nico felt a rush of emotions: hate, anger, fear, love, trust, resentment. "How- how do you know him?"_

 _"_ _I know your deepest, darkest secrets, Nico di Angelo. I have peered into your mind. I know what you most desire in the world."_

 _Panic ran through the boy. "You know nothing about me!"_

 _"_ _Oh, but I do! You yearn to be Percy Jackson, as powerful as your hero crush. You wish to become strong to prevent-"_

 _"_ _-anyone I love from dying again." Nico finished. "But, that's the problem, isn't it? Everyone I love is-" he trailed off, not finishing the statement. "I am alone. I'm a outcast."_

 _Minos nodded knowingly. "That is what it means to be a child of Hades. Alone in this world, unable to find happiness or love-"_ _He didn't want to believe it, but the ghost king was correct. Nico was alone and would never find love._ _"-b_ _ut, you don't need that love. All you need is power, and I can help you gain that power." Minos' words were enticing. Nico found himself nodding._

 _"_ _Teach me to bring my sister back and I will follow you."_

 _Minos smiled creepily. "Excellent choice, my lord. Let us start training!"_

* * *

Will's POV:

"Are you okay?" He asked Nico when they landed in the maze.

The boy looked panicked before nodding. Nico gained eye contact with Will, but his onyx eyes glazed over.

"You promised," Nico said with so much anger.

Will's tilted his head. "Promise? What did I promise?" Suddenly, Nico's eyes rolled into the back of his head. "No!" Will cried out, trying to catch Nico as best as he could while he was still attached to him.

The two boys fell into a heap onto the ground as Nico's sword fell in front of him. Will frantically shook Nico, trying to awaken the now shivering boy.

"Nico, wake up," Will pleaded, but he knew it was for naught; Nico was unconscious. He knew that his boyfriend coming in here would be a horrible idea.

Will forced himself to take inventory. He looked to his immediate surroundings. They didn't appear to be in any immediate danger. Nico's sword was casting a blackish light, and there was a torch further up the tunnel way.

He looked down at his boyfriend. He was still shivering, even though the tunnel was hot and muggy. He put his hand to Nico's head, closing his eyes. Neither pain nor panic had caused the boy to collapse. He had just fallen unconscious. It didn't make sense.

Will opened his eyes. Just being in the Labyrinth shouldn't have caused Nico to pass out. He had been ten feet away from the entrance to Tartarus, but he had not passed out. He had had a panic attack, yes, but he hadn't just fallen unconscious.

The only other time Nico had just passed out without explanation was when he had been talking to Percy on the beach and had collapsed because of near exhaustion. But, Nico had slept all through the night. At least Will thought that he had.

There was some outside interference meddling in the son of Hades' life. Will really hoped that Nico would consult his father to find out who the hell was messing with him.

Will removed Nico's gloves, to take his pulse on his wrist. He looked on in confusion, as he noticed the bandage on his boyfriend's wrist. _N_ o Will thought _please gods, no!_

He removed the bandage quickly, terrified that he would find razor marks underneath. He looked and there didn't appear to be any new cuts. He gently moved the wrist around. Nico winced in his sleep. His wrist had fractured but was healing slowly. How had that happened? And why had Nico not told him about it? He could have healed the fracture in a second, but Nico had not asked.

Nico then screamed out in pain. Will's attention snapped back to his boyfriend. He grabbed his other arm in his sleep. Will didn't know what to do. Nico appeared to be being assaulted in his sleep. Like with Aaron.

Fear soaked Will to his core. This couldn't be happening again. He pulled the knife that he armed himself with from his back. He tried to slice the band binding him and Nico together, to give the son of Hades some space. The bond would not break.

"Chiron!" He cried, looking at the ceiling. "Please help! Please!"

Suddenly, a ramp appeared before Will and Nico. Will gasped in relief as sunlight shone down into the dark maze. Chiron's front hooves could be seen at the top of the ramp.

"Mr. Solace, you have only been in the maze for an hour, what is the problem?"

An hour? The back of Will's mind thought. They had been down there for ten minutes. His attention, however, was focused on Nico, whose clothes had started steaming, the heat radiating to Will, burning his leg.

Chiron came running into the maze, pressing a button on his bow. The bond released, and Will leaped away from the heat. He briefly glanced at his leg. Nico had caused a minor first-degree burn to appear on Will's leg. It hurt like a mother, but Will didn't care. He knelt down beside his boyfriend, waiting for the steaming to subside.

"What happened?" Chiron asked, also kneeling down beside the boy.

"He just- we got into the maze, and he- he just collapsed!" Will exclaimed.

Chiron put his hand to Nico's forehead as well. His face looked grim. "It's what I feared. A god/goddess caused him to lose consciousness. He is stuck in whatever memory or dream this is."

"Like with Aaron?" Will whispered. Chiron nodded gravely. "But he was unconscious for a week last time!"

"I have no idea how long he will be out. It might be only for the night; it might be-" Chiron stopped, looking around quickly. His tail swished nervously. "Get back!" He commanded.

Will was too shocked to move, so Chiron grabbed his arm pulling him away from Nico. Chiron shielded Will's body as Nico started screaming.

"Nico!" Will screamed, trying to get away from Chiron, but the centaurs grip was firm. Will peered over his shoulder.

Nico was writhing on the floor of the Labyrinth, screaming. His clothes were steaming again. The walls and ground were shaking. A huge burst of black energy was expelled from the son of Hades, scorching the earth before; Will had seen this happen before.

The ground cracked open. Nico's screamed turned guttural before Will heard a snap. Then, silence.

Chiron slowly released him, turning to look at the damage. "Oh, ye gods!" He gasped.

Will ran around him and skid on the floor, landing by Nico's side. The boy appeared to be in a coma now. His clothes were starting to cool off. Will assessed the damage to Nico's body. The release of energy had drained the boy. He touched one of Nico's arm. The arm was broken, probably because of how much energy the son of Hades had just expelled.

"Oh, Nico," he whispered, lightly brushing the hair out of his eyes. He then turned to Chiron. "We need to get him to Infirmary. Now!"

* * *

Nico's POV:

 _"_ _Just focus, Master. Focus." Minos commanded._

 _"_ _Your nagging is making that a little difficult, Minos," Nico gritted his teeth with concentration._

 _Nico had been in the Labyrinth for a little over a month now._ _Now, they were in a cave in the Underworld, Minos finally allowing Nico to enter his father's kingdom. The ghost had been training Nico, showing him different skills and talents. They had started lessons about communicating with and raising spirits. None of the apparitions who appears had been very substantial at all, but Nico was able to do it. It also exhausted him whenever he was doing it. He also passed out afterwards._

 _This mission to the Underworld was for two purposes: getting some more answers from other spirits about bringing someone back from the dead and crafting Nico a sword. Minos had suggested a way to bring Bianca back, by exchanging a soul who had cheated death for Bianca's, but Nico had refused to do that. He might have been a son of Hades, but he was not a murderer. He was not going to subjugate a soul to die to bring his sister back. There had to be another way._

 _They had roamed the Field of Asphodel, demanding answers from souls, but most of the ghosts just ignored them, and tried to attack when Nico persisted. Minos then informed Nico that he needed an infernal blade, washed in the River Styx, and made of Stygian Iron, in order to control the spirits. Also, so Nico could defend himself when Minos disappeared._

 _They were in a black cave in the depths of the Underworld. Minos had informed Nico that there was unrefined iron within the black rocks of the cave. This was also another lesson: Nico had to get a control over his geokinesis, or his ability to manipulate rock. Currently, with a lot of sweating and swearing, he tried to break open the rocks to reveal the iron._

 _"_ _It's a matter of concentrating your power, taking all the unregulated emotions inside of you, and focusing on the rock. You have the same minerals that make up this rock inside of you. Call out to these rocks; you control them, and they must obey you." Minos instructed._

 _Nico allowed the words to wash over him. He was made of the same rock that stretched in front of him. He closed his eyes and reached down deeply inside himself. His hand, which was held out in front of him, aimed at the rock which held the iron, started to shake with effort. His whole body started shaking and steaming as he expend energy. He let out a scream as the pressure exploded. The rock in front of him cracked open._

 _He stumbled back, hitting the other wall of the cave. He slid down the wall as black spots danced in his eyes. He breathed heavily, trying to catch his breath._ Don't pass out, don't pass out, don't pass out _Nico muttered the mantra under his breath. There was always a chance that he would pass out using his powers until he got a little more control over them._

 _The black spots finally cleared and Nico looked at the broken rock in front of him. Inside, there was a gleaming black stone. He stood up carefully, trying not to make himself lightheaded. He slowly approached the metal._

 _"_ _Wow," Nico gasped. The black stone gleamed with tiny crystals. "It's beautiful."_

 _"_ _Stygian Iron, in its purest form." Minos mused. Nico reached out to touch the stone, but Minos hissed at him. "Do not touch! That is an incredibly dangerous metal, boy!"_

 _Nico felt like he had been shocked. He pulled his hand back. "How dangerous?"_

 _The king smiled his creepy smile. "Once we are finished crafting the blade, you will have the ability to reap souls, and control them. Unlike Celestial bronze and Imperial gold, which merely sends the remains of monsters to Tartarus, this iron will absorb the essence of the monsters, making the blade stronger and more powerful. It can harm demigods, monsters, and mortal."_

 _"_ _Why- why would I need a blade this powerful?" Nico asked, terrified of having that much power. An accidental nick could reap him of his soul. Cheerful thought._

 _"_ _It is a fitting blade for the son of Hades! Also, if you wish to command the dead and control spirits, this blade is the only was to do it. This is the only blade that you will be able to summon your fallen sister with." Minos explained._

 _That made Nico determined to get this sword. He considered the rock. "So, if I cannot touch it, how am I supposed to remove the stone from the rock?"_

 _"_ _You must cut the stone from the rock that holds it, using your geokinetic powers," Minos instructed. "That takes much more focus, and precision. You may want to rest before we try again. Otherwise, you will be overwhelmed and cause yourself to pass out."_

 _Nico nodded, still feeling drained from the one huge crack he had made in the rock. "Okay, so nap time it is."_

 _He removed his backpack and put it on the ground. He also took off his aviator jacket. Minos had found it for him when he got sick of the son of Hades shivering at night. He hasn't explained where he had gotten it, but Nico had a feeling it was from one of the skeletons that resided in the Labyrinth. At any rate, it was in remarkable great shape. He laid his head on his backpack and spread the jacket over his body. As soon as he closed his eyes, he fell asleep._


	25. Chapter 25: Crafting

AN: I'm back, y'all! So, I am almost done with the HoO series and about to reread the ToA series, and eventually read the Burning Maze for the first time, which I am not ready to do. But, I have BIG plans for it, if my suspicions are proven correct.

I am about to head back to school and I am NOT ready for that either. I will try to update as much as possible but university is hard and time-consuming, so if you guys could be patient, I would greatly appreciate that.

I have almost finished writing Nico's journey through Tartarus, but I feel like it's bad and I want someone to read it to tell me what they think. Would anyone be interested? And I think I might be interested in having a beta reader because sometimes I really hate reading my own work. Just let me know in the reviews. Enjoy!

Warnings: SELF-HARM! Please do NOT read if this upsets you! Please stay safe. SELF HARM TRIGGER WARNING!

Disclaimer: All rights reserved to Rick Riordan. I own nothing, but the plot.

This story discusses the themes of self-harm, anxiety, and depression. Trigger warning. Do not read if any of these things upset you. Trigger warning!

Criticism is appreciated, but please no hate. Please review and leave suggestions! Enjoy!

* * *

 _Nico's POV:_

 _He woke up, shaking off a nightmare. He had not witnessed Bianca's death, but it was always what he dreamed about. Every time he had the nightmare, it became darker and more bloody. He realized that it had been so bad this time because he was in his father's realm. A place of terrors._

 _Minos floated through the entrance to the cave. He had yelled at Nico when his screams disturb him so Nico had trained himself to scream silently._

 _He looked over Nico. "You are awake. Now, it is time to craft your weapon. I would suggest eating some of your provisions so you can have enough energy for the summoning."_

 _Nico nodded, opening up his backpack, pulling out an energy bar. "So, how am I going to do this?" His mouth was full as he spoke._

 _"_ _As I explained before, you will have to use extreme precision and care when extracting the iron. As a child of the Underworld, the iron will listen to you. You just have to release it from the rock. Just focus your energy on destroying the rock, not the stone. It's like using a knife. Instead of the tool, however, you will just have to use-"_

 _"_ _My powers, got it," Nico finished. He stood up, shaking off the crumbs that had fallen onto his jacket. He faced the crevice he had made, revealing the Stygian Iron. "So, after I get this out, then what?"_

 _"_ _We go to your father's forges. There, the blacksmiths will craft this iron into a weapon fit for a king."_

 _Nico didn't care about having power too much. It feared him more than anything. "That will bring my sister back."_

 _"_ _That is just one of the many things this blade will be able to do, my master."_

 _"_ _Okay, let's do it." He said._

 _Nico shook off the aches he was feeling after sleeping on the hard stone ground. He again raised his hand, concentrating on the stone in front of him. He imagined that he was slicing the iron from the rock. The rock was resisting him as if it didn't want to break._

 _He felt a thin line of sweat appear on his forehead as he pushed his mind to cut this rock. He screamed in frustration. He broke his concentration and punched the rock behind him._

 _Pain ripped through his hand, but Nico welcomed the pain. He was worthless, useless, powerless. He wasn't strong enough to bring his sister back. Therefore, he needed to punish himself. It was his own incompetence that caused him to fail._

 _Minos was right whenever he chastised the boy. He was worthless. Those words had impacted Nico greatly. He truly believed them whenever Minos said he was nothing and would never amount to anything in life._

 _He punched the wall again, tearing the skin of his knuckles. He brought his hand up to watch as the blood trickled from his knuckles, covering his fist, and down to his wrist. Blood did not scare him anymore. After facing so many horrors in the maze, and in the Underworld, little scared him anymore._

 _It was his first time hurting himself purposefully, but Nico felt a certain calm energy pass over him as he watched his blood pour over his pale skin. Being down in the maze had caused his tan skin to fade, and he was remarkably pale. While self-harm had the potential to make him weak, Nico could control how much he hurt himself. One of the few things he seemed to be able to control. He couldn't control Minos and how much the ghost would teach him in a day. He couldn't control how much his energy using his powers would take. He couldn't control his mixed feelings about Percy Jackson. He couldn't control Bianca's death._

 _But hurting himself, he could. He knew what he could take. He knew the pain he needed to cause himself in order to produce results. He needed to hurt himself because he was weak and useless. Punishing himself for failures and inadequacies would encourage him to work harder and be better. He gained a sense of control over his life and his actions that he had not ever felt in his life._

 _If he could control his pain, why could he not control this rock? He had the power. Nico was in charge. The rock would bend to his will._

 _He wiped off the blood on his pants and turned back to face the rock. The pain in his hand caused a huge adrenaline rush to go through him. He brought up his hand, focusing it on the rock. He screamed with the effort it took to start cracking the rock._

 _His body was trembling with the effort it took to slice the iron from the rock. But, he was steadfast. The rock would comply. He would get the iron out. His vision went red and the next thing he knew, he was lying on the ground, Minos crouched in front of him._

 _"_ _Master, can you hear me?" The ghost said._

 _Nico sat up slowly, his head feeling heavy. "Yes, what-what happened?"_

 _Minos grinned triumphantly, stepping back to reveal the Stygian Iron, lying on the cave floor. "You did it. You removed the iron core."_

 _Nico looked at the iron in shock. "I- I did?"_

 _Minos nodded. "Now, we do not have much time. The iron will start to decay and become unsteady as it has been removed from its source. We must get it to the forges of Hades, and have it crafted. Can you stand, your highness?"_

 _Nico pushed himself up, using the wall. He nodded. "How do I get it there if I cannot touch it?"_

 _"_ _You must use your geokinetic powers once more," Minos explained. Nico opened his mouth to protest, but the ghost waved off his words. "I know, you are very spent, but it must be done. We have to move it now. Otherwise, the consequences could be catastrophic."_

 _Minos was pushing Nico to his limits, but it was the only way to survive. To achieve his goals. He didn't care about what happened to him. He just wanted his sister back. "Okay, what do I have to do?"_

* * *

Will's POV:

Will laid Nico down on one of the beds in the Infirmary. The son of Hades was shaking again, his skin hot and feverish, as if he was using a great deal of energy.

Chiron has helped Will transport Nico to the Infirmary, but he had had to return to the playing field. Will was alone, with no idea how to fix his boyfriend.

It was exactly like when Nico had been trapped in his dreams with Aaron attacking him. Will didn't know what he was dreaming, but he guessed it had something to do with the Labyrinth. When he had been utterly, and completely alone.

"I'm here, Nico, darling. I am right here," Will whispered, holding his boyfriend's hand in his own. He kissed the back of Nico's hand. To his surprise, Nico screamed in pain.

Will released his hand and watched, in horror, as blood spilled out over his knuckles. "Oh my gods, Nico!"

He started muttering a healing hymn under his breath, trying to staunch the bleeding, but the wound was getting worse. It continued to open and the bleeding got worse. What was happening? Who was doing this to Nico?

He grabbed bandages and tried to stop the blood as it poured out of the boy. But, it was for naught. Nico started steaming again. He arched his back in pain, as tears streamed down his face. Will tried to restrain the boy so he wouldn't injure himself further.

"Please, Nico. Please, my angel. Please calm down. Please, please wake up." Will pleaded with the boy. Nico did not heed his words.

Eventually, the son of Hades' spasms stopped and his body relaxed. Will released Nico, looking over his body. His fist was still injured, but other than a whole lot of expended energy, Nico looked okay.

Will allowed himself to breathe a sigh of relief as he went to the medicine cabinet. If Nico was getting the same injuries he had the first time he went through the Labyrinth, there were dark days ahead for the boy. Will wanted to get ahead of the game, so he wanted to start the son of Hades on an IV drip. Get some nutrition into Nico as well as keeping him constantly healing with Unicorn draft.

As he finished attaching the IV to Nico's elbow crook, the doors of the Infirmary flew open. Connor was at the door.

"Will, thank the gods. We need you!"

"I- I" He stammered, looking down at Nico. "What's happened?"

"Paolo- he's been injured again-" Connor was panicked. It must have been bad.

"But, Nico is hurt…" he trailed, not willing to leave his boyfriend's side.

"His LEG has been sawed off, Will!" Connor yelled. "And no one else is back. Please! Chiron sent me to get you."

With one final look at Nico, who was calmly sleeping, in his induced coma, he nodded. "Okay, here is what I need."

* * *

 _Nico's POV:_

 _He woke from another nightmare, screaming. He looked rapidly around to make sure he hadn't angered his ghostly mentor, but the king was nowhere in sight._

 _He took calming deep breaths. He had had a nightmare of a horde of ghosts he and Minos had faced recently. They had barely escaped. It had felt so real. They were calling him, telling him to join them, that they had his sister._

 _Before he even realized, he was pressing a knife into his wrist. The pain and sight of blood brought him back to the present. He was alive. He was okay. As okay as someone could be when they relied on self-harm to ground them to reality._

 _After his assault of the wall when he had removed the iron from the wall about a month ago, he had taken up harming himself, for many reasons. To focus himself. To bring himself back to reality. To punish himself. To encourage himself. He knew it was a bad habit and that it could quickly become an addiction, but he had a mission to complete. Once he found Bianca and brought her back, he would stop._

 _Just thinking of Bianca made his heart hurt. He drew the blade across his skin, leaving another freshly opened cut. She would be disappointed that he was doing this to himself, but he didn't care. He couldn't stop._

 _When he finally felt real again, needing his blood to spill over the stone floor of the Labyrinth to prove that, he replaced his knife in his jacket pocket and bandaged up his arm. He didn't want the wound to get infected or deprive him of any more blood._

 _He pulled his jacket back on and reattached his new sword to his hip. Once he had removed the iron core from the rock, he levitated it across the Underworld, to his father's forges where the blacksmiths there had crafted him the weapon. Once he had given them the iron, he had collapsed for three days._

 _When he awoke from that, Minos was giving him his sword. It was three feet long, with a sharp tip, and black as a nightmare. The smiths had informed Nico of the swords great power. As a child of Hades, he would be able to channel his power through the sword to control and summon the dead. The power of the sword would increase as he collected souls within the blade._

 _Nico had refused to use the sword at first, terrified he would hurt someone, or himself, but after that encounter with the angry spirits, he depended on the sword for everything. He had slowly started channeling his necromancy powers into the sword, but it was slow work._

 _Minos had decided that he needed to learn another skill to aid better in traveling and finding souls and ghosts who had answers about his sister. Minos was going to teach him how to shadow travel. To be in one place, use the shadows, and then appear in another place. Nico was excited to learn the skill, so he wouldn't have to walk and navigate the maze anymore, but Minos had warned him that the act of shadow jumping was incredibly dangerous. He could end up in the middle of the ocean if he wasn't focusing, or permanently become a part of the shadows if he did not focus himself._

 _"_ _Ahh, my master rises," Minos' voice disturbed Nico from his thoughts._

 _"_ _Us humans do indeed have to sleep, Minos," Nico said sarcastically. Minos' attitude was incredibly trying and he pushed Nico past the breaking point._

 _"_ _I understand that, but it is incredibly boring waiting for you to awaken," Minos complained. "But enough of that, today, you shadow travel."_

 _Nico looked at the ground. Minos had explained the basics of shadow jumping, but it still seemed extremely complicated. He had to imagine his destination in his mind, even if he hadn't been there before. That was the most important part. Next, he would reach out with his powers, finding the shadows in the world and in himself, and he would become one with the shadows. He would melt into the shadows and hopefully appear intact on the other side._

 _"_ _I know I have discussed in great lengths with you how you shadow travel and what you must concentrate on. But, the skills are also already inside you. It might seem like you don't know how to do it, but you do. Once you start, your body will know what to do. You have more inner strength and power than you realize." Minos instructed. That was the closest thing to a compliment that the ghost had ever given to him._

 _"_ _I understand," Nico said, as he stood up. The Labyrinth was luckily covered in shadows. "So, I should just do it?"_

 _Minos nodded. "Focus on a place where you want to go. Let the image of that place fill you up and then, reach out and become one with the shadows."_

 _Nico nodded, closing his eyes, imagining a place. The image of Washington DC popped into his head. He had been there with Bianca before and had loved it. All the history, all the museums. He had a clear image of the National Mall in his head. He then imagined the shadows that surrounded him, infiltrating his being, becoming him. He was Nico di Angelo. And he controlled the shadows._

 _He opened his eyes to plunge into the shadow cast by the wall. Instead of melting into the shadow like he thought he would, he ran straight into the wall, effectively, and efficiently knocking himself out._


	26. Chapter 26: Losing Touch

AN: God, I just finished BoO again and its so TENDER at the end. I love Nico di Angelo with every fiber of my being, as well as Jason and Percy and Reyna and all of them. Please review!

I took some of Rick's own words and stuff, but it DOES NOT belong to me so please don't sue me!

Warnings: gore, medical procedures

Disclaimer: All rights reserved to Rick Riordan. I own nothing, but the plot.

This story discusses the themes of self-harm, anxiety, and depression. Trigger warning. Do not read if any of these things upset you. Trigger warning!

Criticism is appreciated, but please no hate. Please review and leave suggestions! Enjoy!

* * *

Will's POV:

Night was already falling as he ran behind Connor Stoll. Time really was different in the Labyrinth; and Will had spent longer in the infirmary tending to Nico than he thought. Connor was holding a bag of his medical supplies, while Will held the other one. He had taken the time to pack up as many of his supplies as he could, but there was only so much he could fit into two bags. He had also changed into light blue scrubs, as his other clothes were dirty from his own time in the Labyrinth.

They arrived at the field where the demigods who had made it out had started to gather. Looking around, it appeared that almost all the teams had returned. And it seemed that almost no one remained unscathed. He scanned the area, trying to assess who needed the most help. There were too many injuries: burns, cuts, breaks, bruises, and someone forced to speak in tongue twisters. The wonders of the maze.

Chiron spotted him and galloped over. "Where do you want to start, Mr. Solace?"

"There's so many- I need more hands. Is everyone back? Where are Kayla and Austin? And my father?"

Worry flitted across Chiron's face. "That's where we have a problem-"

A scream interrupted the centaur. Will whipped his head around, fixating on the origin of the scream. It was Paolo Montes, being carried out of the Labyrinth on a stretcher. If he thought Connor was exaggerating earlier, he didn't now. Paolo's leg was completely severed from his body. Will fought the urge to vomit.

He rushed over to Sherman and Malcolm, who were carrying the ends of the stretcher. He started giving them directions. "I need him on a level surface, a clear area of grass." He spotted a place. He pointed. "There! Set him down there!"

The two boys heeded his commands. Paolo was placed on the ground and somehow still conscious. "We are going to help you Paolo." Will reassured.

"Eu vou matar aquele monstro pequeno!" Paolo screamed. Will didn't know Portuguêse, but he didn't need a translation. He had taken enough Spanish to know what Paolo wanted to do to Harley and his course.

"I- I need nectar and- bandages and-" Will steadied himself. He could do that. He had reattached Paolo's arms. Who's to say he couldn't do that with the boy's leg? "Okay, first, if you don't have any injuries Malcolm, I need you to go keep an eye on Nico in the infirmary. He was hurt in the maze and someone should be monitoring him." Malcolm nodded before taking off in the direction of the Big House. "Connor, I need you to hold down Paolo. Paolo, this is going to be painful."

"A sério?!" Paolo gasped out, tears streaming down his face.

Will looked around rapidly. "Where the hell is Kayla?"

"Chiron didn't tell you?" Connor said. Will whipped around to meet his gaze. Connor's eyes were wide with fear. "Kayla, Austin, Apollo, and Meg are missing."

Fear shot through Will. _No_ he thought _Not my family too_. Nico was in danger; his best friend was missing; and now his brother, sister and father had disappeared.

Paolo screaming in pain disturbed him from his thoughts.

"Shit!" Will cursed. He started pouring nectar over Paolo's severed limb. The nerve ends and ripped flesh started repairing itself, but the nectar would not be enough. "Is anyone out looking for them?"

"Yes. The maze for some reason ended up in the forest. There are dryads in the woods looking now."

 _Okay_ he thought as he looked down at Paolo's leg _At least someone is looking, even if he couldn't._

He pulled on a pair of surgical gloves and started working on Paolo. He moved the leg closer to where it had been cut off. Blood spurted from the limb onto his scrub shirt. He poured more nectar onto the wound. Then, he grabbed a staple gun from his bag.

"I'm really sorry about this," Will apologized as he put the staple gun to Paolo's leg.

"Espera-" he howled in pain as the first staple went in. The staples were infused with magic so once the leg was reattached by the nerves and muscle, they would fall out. But, Will needed the flesh attached before he could start healing Paolo with magic.

Every staple that went in brought up a fresh spurt of blood; Will was soon covered in the son of Hebe's blood. Connor Still was also covered, but his grip on Paolo did not waver. He used every ounce of his strength to stop the much bigger Brazilian from throwing him and Will off. After ten staples, Will stopped.

"That's all I dare to do," he muttered mostly to himself, but Connor thought he was talking to him.

"Thank the gods, this is absolutely disgusting to watch."

Will shot a glance at Connor, who looked nauseous. "Just hold him steady, okay?"

He put down the staple gun and risked pouring a little more nectar over the wound. He closed his eyes and started muttering a healing hymn under his breath. Healing flowed through him. He didn't open his eyes, but he could tell that his power had pooled to his hands and they were glowing. His hymn became louder as he moved his hands over the wound. The flesh started knitted itself back together. He could feel nerves reconnecting and muscles healing.

Once he could sense that the leg was reattached, he opened his eyes. The leg looked as good as new, the staples already slowly starting to fall out. Will felt lightheaded as he sat back on his heels. He had not used that much of his healing energy in a long time.

A commotion shook Will from his lightheaded state. He saw Apollo emerging from the direction of the cabins. He had just finished talking to Chiron and was heading in the direction of the woods. _Thank the gods._

"Apollo, I need you!" Will shouted. Paolo was still screaming in pain, so Will guessed that the nerves were still reattaching, and Paolo was feeling everything.

His father ran over and winced when he saw Paolo and his still mending leg.

"I got it reattached," Will told his father , his voice shaky with exhaustion. "I need somebody to keep him stable."

Apollo pointed to the woods. "But—"

"I know!" Will snapped. "Don't you think I want to be out there searching too? We're shorthanded for healers. There's some salve and nectar in that pack.

Go!"

"Y-yes," Apollo said. "Yes, of course." He grabbed the supply pack and took charge of Paolo, who had conveniently passed out from the pain.

Will changed his surgical gloves and glared at the woods. "We _will_ find them. We _have_ to."

Sherman gave him a canteen. "Drink. Right now, this is where you need to be."

Will sighed. "You're right. But that doesn't make me feel better. I have to set Valentina's broken arm now. You want to assist?"

"Sounds gruesome," Sherman said. "Let's go."

Will didn't mind the son of Ares, though he had had little contact with him. He appreciated him stepping up and helping out. The boys went straight over to Valentina, whose only injury was her broken arm. Will smiled at Valentina as he knelt down beside her.

"This is going to hurt briefly and then feel a whole lot better," he warned.

Sherman held Valentina down so she wouldn't flinch and hurt herself further. Will set the arm, back in place. She let out a yelp and punched Sherman in the arm. As the two were staring daggers at each other, Will secured the arm with a splint.

"Just keep your arm in that splint until the morning," Will advised. He took a piece of ambrosia from his bag and handed it to the girl. "Eat that and you should be feeling better quickly."

"Thanks, Will," Valentina said, still glaring at Sherman.

Will looked around at who still needed to be helped. Paolo was currently being carried back to his cabin by two satyrs; Billie's legs were moving uncontrollably, but after a few questions with her, Will discovered it was due to a curse of Irish step dancing. Will consulted Lou Ellen, who assured the girl that it should fade by the morning. Chiara had a mild concussion, but with a gentle touch to her forehead by Will and his glowing hands, it faded quickly.

He then saw Nyssa, holding a bandage to her arm. He jogged over to her. He knelt down, and slowly removed her hand from her upper arm. She had a huge gash. Will's eyebrows furrowed. "You weren't even in the maze. How did that happen?"

Nyssa waved his question off. "Tried to disable one of the chainsaws after Paolo's leg got sawed off. The chainsaw did not want to be put down."

Will nodded. He could probably heal the wound with his powers in a second, but after how lightheaded he had gotten healing Paolo and Chiara, he didn't trust himself not to pass out. "I am just going to put a few stitches in. The ambrosia should heal it by morning."

The head counselor nodded, looking away from her arm as Will started stitching the skin back together. It was tedious work, but it gave Will a distraction from the panic and worry that was crowding his mind. All he had to do was focus on sewing up the patch of skin in front of him.

In minutes, he had finished pulling the last stitch through and wrapped a bandage tightly around her arm. Just as he was about to hand her ambrosia to eat, a panicked voice shouting his name disturbed him.

"Will!" Malcolm. Oh no.

He turned quickly to find the son of Athena running toward him. The ambrosia fell to the ground as Will leapt to his feet to greet the boy. His exhaustion and lightheadedness faded replaced by adrenaline.

"It's Nico- it's- it's not good!" Malcolm gasped out as he stopped in front of Will and Nyssa.

Will grabbed Malcolm's arm and pulled him, immediately launching into a run. "You can explain on the way. What happened?"

"He was okay- he was- normal-" Malcolm panted out, winded from his sprint down the hill. "Then, his- clothes started steaming. He was screaming- and then he turned-"

"To shadows?" Will asked as they raced passed the cabins, halfway to the Big House.

"Yeah- he lost form- he's- it's- it's not good. He's fading."

* * *

 _Nico's POV:_

 _Nico and Minos were standing in a graveyard, under the night sky. Nico had removed his aviator jacket to don a black cloak. There was a grave in front of him, freshly dug by his skeletons, Minos had taught Nico had to summon and control. His powers continued to develop and Nico was growing stronger and more dangerous every day. He could manipulate rocks and Minos had taught him to control his nightmares._

 _It had been months in the real world since Nico had first tried shadow-travelling. After a few more run-ins with brick walls, he eventually managed to jump. And then proceeded to pass out for a week. It was a difficult and draining way to travel, but it made getting around a lot easier. Even with the unexpected trips to China. Every time he travelled, he heard the shadows calling out to him, asking him to join, but Nico always managed to pull himself out._

 _Now, he was summoning a very particular spirit in order to discover how to bring his sister back. Minos had told him that the only way to bring her back was to exchange a soul of someone who had cheated death for hers. He had suggested Daedalus, the inventor behind he Labyrinth, but Nico wanted a second opinion before killing the old man._

 _He grabbed the Wal-Mart bag that he had and pulled out a twelve-pack of Coke. He started pouring the soda into the grave. Shortly after, he overturned a Happy Meal from McDonald's into the depression. He closed his eyes focusing and began chanting in Ancient Greek. Words about the dead rising again and returning to the grave. Minos had drilled into him what to say, saying that even a mispronounced word could lead to unsettled spirits. It had already happened before and Nico was not anxious to see it again._

 _The grave started to bubble. Frothy brown liquid rose to the top like the whole thing was filling with soda. The fog thickened. The frogs stopped croaking. Dozens of figures began to appear among the gravestones: bluish, vaguely human shapes._

 _"_ _There are too many," the ghost said nervously. "You don't know your own powers."_

 _"_ _I've got it under control," Nico said, but he wasn't sure if he could handle this many ghosts. He pulled out his Stygian Iron sword. The crowd of shades retreated at the sight of it. He looked at the figures. "One at a time."_

 _A single figure floated forward and knelt at the pool. It was a teenage guy in Greek armor, with curly hair and green eyes. He slurped the soda and grabbed a handful of French fries._

 _"_ _Who are you?" Nico said. "Speak."_

 _The young man frowned as if trying to remember. Then he spoke in a voice like dry, crumpling paper: "I am Theseus."_

 _"_ _How can I retrieve my sister?" Nico asked. "Will this quest into the Labyrinth help me win her back?"_

 _Theseus turned his eyes back on Nico. "The Labyrinth is treacherous. There is only one thing that saw me through: the love of a mortal girl. The string was only part of the answer. It was the princess who guided me."_

 _"_ _We don't need any of that," Minos said. "I will guide you, my lord. Ask him if it is true about an exchange of souls. He will tell you."_

 _"_ _A soul for a soul," Nico asked. "Is it true?"_

 _"_ _I—I must say yes. But the specter—"_

 _"_ _Just answer the questions, knave!" the ghost said._

 _Suddenly, around the edges of the pool, the other ghosts became restless. They stirred, whispering in nervous tones._

 _"_ _I want to see my sister!" Nico demanded. "Where is she?"_

 _"_ _He is coming," Theseus said fearfully. "He has sensed your summons. He comes."_

 _"_ _Who?" Nico demanded._

 _"_ _He comes to find the source of this power," Theseus said. "You must release us."_

 _Before Nico could even move, the spirits disappeared in flashes of smoke. Minos also disappeared into the night. Nico stepped back as a dark cloud of purple and black smoke appeared in front of him over the grave. Nico could feel the raw power emitting from the smoke. He threw his arms over his face, protecting himself as the smoke began to glow._

 _Eventually, the heat he had been feeling from the smoke died down. The light was not blinding him anymore, so he slowly removed his arms from his face. Standing at the edge of the grave was a man. But, there was some magic going on here. This was no ordinary man._

 _He was very tall and muscular with albino white skin. His black eyes were flaring with purple fire. He had shoulder-length black hair, with slicked back bangs. His robes were where Nico's focus landed. They were black and flowing, with the souls of the dead threaded into the cloth. Nico shuddered when he watched the trapped souls trying to escape the folds._

 _"_ _And just what do you think you are doing?" The god thundered. Nico had never seen him before, but he knew exactly who this god was._

 _"_ _Father," Nico said simply, trying not to let his overwhelming fear show._

 _"_ _Did you think I wouldn't notice, boy?" Hades said scornfully. "Raising spirits? Summoning skeletons? Manipulating shadows? You are a danger to yourself and others."_

 _"_ _I didn't think you cared," Nico blurted out before he could stop himself. "Considering you haven't shown up my entire life! What have you done to protect me?"_

 _Hades looked taken aback and Nico immediately regretted his words. He didn't want his father to destroy him the first time he met him. The purple fire increased in his eyes. "Do not try to lecture me about things you do not understand, boy! I have protected you for your entire life. I hid you away in the Lotus Hotel and Casino to protect you and your sister," Nico remembered the casino. Minos had told him how he had gone in the 1940s and come out in the 2000s. "If anyone has failed, it is you! You let Bianca leave you and she was killed."_

 _Nico stumbled back, tears threatening his eyes. "That wasn't my fault- that was Percy-"_

 _"_ _Yes, the imbecile Perseus Jackson. You blame him for your sister's death and resent him for the hero that he is. And yet, you desire him!"_

 _"_ _Shut UP!" Nico screamed, a wave of energy expelling from him. As he shook with anger, skeletons broke through the ground._

 _Unlike the spirits he had encountered and few living demigods he had run into, Hades did not run away in fear. He simply looked surprised and pointed at the skeletons who sunk back into the ground._

 _"_ _What-?" Nico started, but an evil laugh from his father interrupted him._

 _"_ _You really think that you have more control over the skeletons than I, the Lord of the Dead?" Hades' eyes shone. He moved forward and started circling Nico. "I have been keeping an eye on you, watching your powers grow. I did not realize how far you have progressed; Minos has been training you well."_

 _"_ _Keeping an eye on me? How?"_

 _His father smiled creepily. "Child, I am a god. I see everything. And I have been watching you and your progress. You have more skills than I thought you would have. I would have preferred your sister to fulfill the prophecy, but I suppose you will do fine. Especially if you continue to allow your powers to grow."_

 _The words stung, but Nico was more confused than anything. "The prophecy? What prophecy?"_

 _Hades looked irritated. "The Great Prophecy. It was issued by the wretched Oracle after World War II, after you were born. In order to halt the prophecy, my brothers made me agree to a pact that we would sire no more children. That's why I hid you in the hotel."_

 _"_ _But, what's the prophecy?" Nico asked, determined to know if his father wanted to make him the center of it._

 _Hades considered Nico for a second before waving his hand. A glowing orb appeared before them, showing a young woman with glowing green eyes. Green smoke poured from her mouth as she spoke._

 _"_ _A half-blood of the eldest gods_

 _Shall reach sixteen against all odds_

 _And see the world in endless sleep_

 _The hero's soul, cursed blade shall reap_

 _A single choice shall end his days_

 _Olympus to preserve or raze"_

 _The vision faded. Nico felt fear go through him._

 _"_ _You want me to be part of that prophecy?" Nico asked. "But, I'm barely 11. Percy is-"_

 _"_ _Percy Jackson cannot be allowed to fulfill that prophecy!" Hades thundered. "He is disrespectful and reckless. I want you to be the half-blood they speak of. I want to train you myself, so you can complete the prophecy and allow me to rise to Olympus."_

 _Nico stepped back. "You just want to_ use _me?_ "

 _"_ _I want more power than my dear brother Zeus has allotted me. And if my child preserves Olympus, then perhaps, I will not be considered an outsider in my own family anymore. And you will not be feared by the demigods at that camp."_

 _Nico felt his face burn red. "You know about that? That I was an outcast?"_

 _"_ _I have been watching. You are my son; you give off an aura of death and fear. Of course those who don't understand your power will fear you." Hades extended his hand. "But I understand your power. I understand what it feels like to be alone. Let me train you; come under my tutelage. Together, we can overcome Olympus to get the respect we deserve."_

 _Nico shook his head. "I don't want that. I don't want to be the hero of this prophecy. I especially don't want to be taught by you, father. I just want my sister back."_

 _Hades considered Nico carefully. "I have many years until you turn sixteen. I can make you see the errors of your ways. As for Bianca..." he trailed off._

 _"_ _Have you seen her?" Nico asked, wanting some scrap of information about his beloved Bianca. "Can you bring her back?"_

 _Hades considered him. Nico looked into his eyes, trying to plead with his father. There was raw anguish and desperation in Nico's eyes. He was so young and had already been through so much. His father broke the gaze first, looking to his feet and sighing._

 _He brought his hands together. "I have spoken to your sister. She wanted… answers from me about her past."_

 _"_ _I want answers about my past!" Nico complained. "And I want to talk to Bianca."_

 _"_ _In due time," Hades said simply._

 _"_ _You've talked to her; can't you bring her back to life?"_

 _Hades looked uneasy. "It's not that simple. I cannot just bring someone back to life because I want to. That would be misusing my powers as the god of the dead."_

 _"_ _Then you won't help me?" Nico asked._

 _Hades didn't say anything. He just fiddled with his hands. "Bianca…she wanted you to have this." He held out his hand._

 _Nico reached out and his father dropped something into his hand. He opened his palm to look at it. It was a silver skull ring, that his father had just been wearing. He closed his hand around it. "I- she couldn't have given this to me herself?"_

 _"_ _You can go looking for your sister, but I do not know if you will find her." Hades ignored his question._

 _Nico felt anger go through him. "What was the point of showing up here? Just give me a gift from my dead sister and not even help me bring her back?"_

 _The purple fire reignited in Hades' eyes. "You should be appreciative that I even showed up! Most demigods never meet their godly parents!"_

 _"_ _Then I wish I was most demigods!" Nico yelled at his father._

 _"_ _Your sister would not be this disrespectful to me." Hades sneered._

 _"_ _Well she isn't here, so we wouldn't know that for sure!" Nico felt tears burn at his eyes and he furiously wiped them away. "Go to hell!"_

 _"_ _I live there," Hades shouted back. His eyes were full of fury as he spoke again. "You will learn some respect for your father, boy, in time. You will learn under me and we will fulfill the next Great Prophecy. Once your 'friends' and crush turn their backs on you again, you will rejoin me in the Underworld. I will have a room waiting for you."_

 _Hades wrapped his cloak around himself and disappeared in a wall of smoke. Nico coughed as the smoke cleared. "Fat chance of that happening." Nico said to no one._

 _He felt tears threaten his eyes. He had no idea how the first meeting with his father should have gone, but he had not been expecting what had happened. His father would have preferred if Bianca had still been alive. Nico sat down on the ground, his face in his hands._ Me too, father _he thought_ Me too.

 _"_ _I really was an ass to you back then wasn't I?" A voice jolted Nico onto his feet. He drew his sword and found it pointing at..._

 _"_ _Father! I thought you just left!" Nico said, trying to wipe his face of tears. He couldn't afford to appear weak in front of his father; he already thought that Nico wasn't as strong as Bianca._

 _"_ _In reality, I did. And then Minos reappeared, and led you back into the maze. You were especially eager, filled with a vengeance to find and bring back your sister, to spite me and prove me wrong." Hades explained. He seemed very calm for someone who had been screaming at Nico not moments before. "The first exchange really did go terribly, so I was so surprised when I discovered that you kept that ring." He pointed down to the ring in Nico's hand. "I guess you just wanted a lasting reminder of your sister who you would fail to bring back to life."_

 _"_ _How- how do you know all this?" Nico asked, bewildered. "Can you see the future? Are you from the future?"_

 _Hades laughed. "No, my child. You are stuck in the past. This is a dream. A memory of your life past."_

 _"_ _No," Nico said defensively. "This- this is real. I am- real?"_

 _"_ _No, you are really in the Infirmary, with your doctor boy, William, hovering over you anxiously, praying that you will awaken soon. You have been trapped in another memory, another nightmare. Who is doing this to you and why, I have not discovered, but I am working on it." Hades put his hand to his chin._

 _"_ _If I am dreaming, then how are you here?" Nico asked. He had never heard the name Will before, but when his father said it, memories with the boy came flooding back to him._

 _"_ _Because I was in your dream, I used that as a back door to get within your head and ty to wake you up. I'm afraid that if you do not wake up soon, you will trapped in this dreamscape until you live out your entire adventure in the Labyrinth. You have a couple more months to go."_

 _"_ _I- I don't understand," even as Nico said it, memories of his current life were coming back to him. He was Nico di Angelo, a fourteen year old boy. He was dating Will Solace._

 _"_ _You need to leave now, because if you stay here longer, the injuries you get in the maze will continue to transfer over to reality. Your doctor boy is very panicked about it, right at this moment."_

 _All his memories came flooding back. "Oh my gods, like with Aaron." He looked back at Hades. "Father?"_

 _Hades smiled. "Glad to have you back. We have such fights back then. I am glad that we are on good terms now."_

 _"_ _So I am trapped in a dream again?" Nico asked, looking around. He remembered this graveyard from when he was ten._

 _"_ _Yes, but you should be able to wake up now, as you are aware that you are in a dream." Hades explained. Even as he spoke, Nico could feel himself coming too, could hear the beeping of a heart monitor, and feel Will's hand gripping him, pleading with him. He blinked and the graveyard and his father were gone. He was waking up._


	27. Chapter 27: Returning

_AN: I'M SORRY! I know it has been forever (please don't hate me), but my life has been a mess recently. My mental health continues to be trash, so I honestly don't know when I will be able to update again. But I felt terrible for making y'all wait for so long, so here I am, with a new chapter_

 _I'm also editing Healing the Dark part two, which I retitled Battling Demons, so if anyone sees that on my page, know that it is Healing the Dark part two, not a new story! I might also edit Healing the Dark again because I cringe and I need more ideas._

 _Disclaimer: All rights reserved to Rick Riordan. I own nothing, but the plot._

 _This story discusses the themes of self-harm, anxiety, and depression. Trigger warning. Do not read if any of these things upset you. Trigger warning!_

 _Criticism is appreciated, but please no hate. Please review and leave suggestions! Enjoy!_

* * *

Will's POV:

He ran back to the Infirmary, as fast as his legs would carry him, the lightheadedness from healing Paolo fading quickly. In his hurry, he had overtaken Malcolm, who was wheezing somewhere behind him. But Will barely took noticed of that. He had one focus now: saving Nico.

He couldn't lose his boyfriend and siblings all in one night. At least he knew where Nico was, unlike Kayla and Austin. They had probably been taken by the same thing that took Cecil, Ellis, and Miranda. He remembered that Apollo had been trying to tell everyone about what he learned, but they had ignored him. How stupid of them all.

Before he knew it, he was bursting into the Big House. He couldn't stop his momentum so he hit the wall as he rounded the corner to get to the entrance to the Infirmary. He vaguely heard a picture frame fall off the wall, but he continued on. He threw open the door to the Infirmary, his eyes locking onto Nico's quickly fading form.

"No," he gasped as he lurched forward. He outstretched his hand to try and his grab his boyfriend, but his hand passed straight through. He tried again, but to no avail. His hand passed through again. Nico was full shadow.

The Infirmary doors opened behind him. He heard someone gasping for breath and Malcolm Pace appeared at his side. "He was- like that when- when I came to get you. Before he faded, he- was moaning and shaking terribly."

Will nodded numbly, still trying to grasp onto any part of Nico. "I- I have seen this before. It happens when he uses too much of his power. When he tries to shadow-travel too much."

"But, he's unconscious. How can he be shadow-?"

"I have no idea," Will interrupted. "I don't know what's going on or what's happening! This has happened before to Nico, getting stuck in a dream, in a memory But, I don't know why, or what is causing it!" Will grabbed his hair in frustration.

"What do you need, Will?" Malcolm asked, putting his hand on Will's shoulder.

"I need- I need someone who actually knows what they are doing, because I don't," Will admitted. "I need Kayla or Austin-"

"-they are both still missing-" Malcolm pointed out.

"Then I need Brandon or any one of my siblings-"

"They all went home, Will, you know that."

"I need- I need someone! Someone who understands Nico and his condition- Coach Hedge-"

"He's in LA with Piper and Jason, Will-"

"Reyna then!" Will said harshly, feeling desperate.

"We cannot contact Camp Jupiter-"

"Then, I am alone!" Will gasped, leaning forward on the bed. "And I don't know how to help him."

Malcolm grabbed him by the shoulder gently and turned him. Will faced the son of Athena. "You have said it yourself. You have healed Nico when he was in this state before, correct?" Will nodded numbly. "How did you heal him last time?"

"I- I got nectar and unicorn draught into him when he coalesced into a solid form- I expelled the darkness from within him- but he's not solid!"

"Then we wait until he becomes solid again," Malcom rationalized.

"Coach Hedge has told me that Nico has been a shadow for days and days before- what if he doesn't come back?" Will desperately asked.

"We can't afford to think like that," Malcolm chided. "You have to have some faith in Nico. He has always come back from being injured. And you have to believe he will come back this time."

Will angrily tore himself away from Malcolm, before sweeping his hand, knocking over an instrument tray. "Have faith in who? The gods? Those powerful and divine beings? One of them has been cast out as a 15 year old child, with no abilities. He was placed here by these deities, whom we are supposed to believe in and put our faith in, who have closed themselves off from us! We saved their sorry asses from the Titans and the giants. And this is how they repay us. By locking us into nightmares that we cannot get out of-" he gestured to Nico. "By not giving us answers when our own disappear? By expecting to deal with all of their problems?"

"You are sounding dangerously like Luke Castellan." Malcolm sharply stated.

The words stopped Will in his tracks. "You- you accuse me of being like him?" Malcolm did not answer. "But, he- he was eventually honored. He killed Kronos, saving Olympus."

"But he led to its downfall in the first place. The point I am trying to make, is that you can get angry with your parent and the gods, but they represent good. They fight against evil, no matter how terribly they go about it. They have their flaws , just as we do, but we cannot turn our backs on them. The results could be catastrophic." Malcolm warned.

Will crumbled into a chair. "I just- I don't know what to do, Malcolm. I truly don't."

Malcolm nodded, understandingly. "I know. But things will work out. Nico has always woken up and will this time as well. He just needs some time."

"And if he never wakes up?" Will asked.

"We cross that bridge when we get to it. But, for right now, we will monitor him until he become solid. Then, you will heal him."

Will nodded, glad to have some sort of plan to follow. "Okay."

"Will," a voice whispered in the dark, but Will was dozing. "Will!" It came more insistently and suddenly Will found himself being shaken awake.

He opened his eyes, looking at Malcolm.

"What?"

"He's solid," Those words sent Will into action.

He stood quickly, flicking on the lamp. It shed light onto Nico's sleeping form, which he could no longer see through. He reached out to touch Nico and was relieved when his hand landed on cold, but solid flesh. Will barely stopped himself from sobbing in relief.

"Hold onto him and do not let go, Malcolm!" Will commanded as he rushed around to get supplies.

He grabbed another IV and a bottle of unicorn draft. He pulled on a pair of gloves as he lifted Nico's head. He tipped the contents of the bottle down Nico's throat. He swallowed reflexively, and Will could see his body already responding to the draught.

As Malcolm still held onto Nico, Will inserted another IV into Nico's arm. It would provide some nutrition for him to counteract the effects of incineration of the nectar. The needle slid smoothly into the son of Hades thankfully still solid arm.

Will examined the rest of his boyfriend, relieved to find that most of his injuries had been fixed by the previous round of nectar he had had. He nodded carefully.

"Can I let go?" Malcolm asked, still gripping onto Nico's arm.

Will took Malcolm's place, holding Nico's arm. "I think it's good for him to keep contact with human skin, but I can take over."

Malcolm nodded, releasing Nico. "I- I didn't mean what I said. You aren't anything like Luke-"

"I know why you said it, and sometimes I have to be reminded of my place. I was just- stressed." Will admitted.

"Yeah, but Will... you are a hero," Malcolm complimented.

Will felt himself go red. "I'm just a healer. I can't do anything constructive with a sword."

"In this world, we need more than just Percy Jacksons. We cannot always rely on brute strength; we need people to be able to pick up the pieces after our fighters get hurt. Your job, in my opinion, is infinitely more important than being good with a weapon."

"I- Malcolm- thank you. For everything." Will spluttered out. The son of Athena knew exactly what Will had needed to hear.

Malcolm nodded, considering Will for a moment, before leaving the Infirmary. As the door closed, Will turned back to face Nico. He started lightly brushing the hair out of Nico's face.

"I just want you to stay safe, Nico. I want you to be okay. Is that too much to ask?" Will whispered.

* * *

His pillow shifted under his head. Will woke up, disoriented. He lifted his head up, realizing that Nico was stirring. He was shaking, and murmuring quietly.

Will put his hands on Nico's shoulders, shaking him lightly.

"No," Nico groaned, pushing Will away, but he was still asleep.

"C'mon Nico, wake up for me," Will asked, trying to shake Nico again.

"Stop! No!" Nico screamed, eyes flying open.

Will stepped back, as Nico sat up quickly, looking panicked. He surveyed the room, before his eyes latched onto Will.

"Will-" he started.

"You're back," Will reassured.

Nico reached his arms out. Will took this as an invitation and moved forward, wrapping his arms around Nico. Nico was shaking as he buried his face into Will's chest. Will tightened his grip, squeezing Nico, trying not to aggravate his injuries.

"Will-" Nico gasped out.

"Shh," Will softly chided. "Focus on breathing right now before you try to speak."

Nico took a gasping breath in. "I can't- I can't breathe."

"I know. It feels like you can't. But, you can. You can breathe. It's just your brain saying that you can't," Will informed. "Just focus on the sound of my voice."

Nico nodded against Will's chest as he dug his nails into Will's back. He took a shaky breath.

"Deep breaths, baby," Will instructed.

"It- it hurts." Nico sobbed. "My chest- it's so tight."

Will nodded, readjusting his grip, releasing some of the pressure on Nico's chest. "I know, I know, darling. But, you have to take deep breaths to relieve some of that pain." He took shuddering deep breaths. "You aren't in any danger of hyperventilating. Your sympathetic nervous system is just going into overdrive right now. You cannot flee, so your body is preparing you to fight. But, there is nothing to fight. You are here. You are safe."

Nico nodded numbly into Will's chest. After about ten minutes, Nico's breathing had evened out. The son of Hades lifted his head, pulling slightly out of Will's grip.

Will locked eyes with the onyx eyes in front of him. "I wasn't ready for the Labyrinth."

Will nodded. "I know." Nico furrowed his eyebrows, looking confused. "I could see it in your eyes; you were scared."

"Why didn't you stop me?" Nico asked, but there was no accusation in his voice.

Will brought his hand up to Nico's cheek. He closed his eyes, leaning into the warmth. "You know why."

"I thought I was ready-" Nico's voice cracked as he spoke. "I thought I was strong enough to do it."

"Oh, Nico," Will sighed. "It's not about being strong enough. Everyone can only take so much."

"It- it happened so long ago," Nico excused.

"And?" Nico said nothing. Will moved his hand and intertwined it with Nico's. "Just because it happened a while ago doesn't diminish the pain. It doesn't take away the memories. And, you have repressed all the pain and memories because that's what you knew how to do. And that was okay. But, you cannot beat yourself up for the fact that you are feeling this all now. You have finally had a chance to breathe and someone to talk to about what you've been through. It makes sense that you are feeling the way that you are."

"I just want to heal already." Nico whispered, looking down at their hands.

Will thinned his lips, running his hand across Nico's own lips. "It seems counterintuitive, but healing properly requires pain and hurting. To heal a bone properly, sometimes you have to break it first."

Nico looked into his eyes. "How much pain do I have to go through before I do heal?"

"As much as it takes," Will simply stated.

Nico was quiet for a moment, a haunted look in his eyes, before he broke the gaze, looking around. He looked surprised to see that it was dark. "How long was I out for? What- what happened?"

"The whole afternoon. It's around 9 o clock right now." Will explained.

"Did, did no one else get hurt?" He asked, looking at the empty beds.

Will chuckled without humor. "There is an impromptu infirmary out in the meadow. It- lots of injuries

Nico picked up on the hesitation in WIll's voice. "What happened?"

"Nothing, just had to reattach Paolo's leg." Will evaded.

"Don't l- wait what?" Nico's eyes flashed. "Paolo's leg was cut off? Right after his arm?" Will opened his mouth to respond, but Nico held up a hand. "No, you are trying to distract me. What really happened?"

Will took a shaky breath. All the stress and worry he was keeping closed up came flooding out as Will collapsed into Nico's arms, in a torrent of tears.

Nico caught him, and started rubbing his back as Will finally felt all the emotional pain he was feeling. He had just lost his siblings. They might not have been dead, but there was no way to know for sure what happened to them. His boyfriend finally woke up, which was a relief, so that weight was lifted on his shoulder. But Nico still had so much to work through. And his father was a mortal, who had his own trials to face.

"What happened, Will?" Nico asked quietly.

"Kayla…" He spluttered out. "And Austin. They- disappeared."

Nico's hand stilled on Will's back. "Like-"

"Yes, like Cecil and Miranda and Ellis. They are just gone." Will said desperately.

"Has anyone been looking?" Nico asked.

Will nodded solemnly. "They have looked in the Labyrinth, and explored the outskirts of the woods, but Chiron has forbidden any campers from entering the woods."

Nico moved, as if trying to get up. "I will go look. I can shadow travel and look-"

"Nico, you just woke up after almost fading into the shadows again." Will said harshly. "You really think I am going to let you go out there?"

Nico's eyebrows furrowed as an angry expression crossed his face. "Going to let me? First off, you don't control me. Second, I am trying to help you-"

"I can't lose you too!" Will interrupting. Nico froze, closing his mouth.

"You aren't going to lose me, Will."

"You cannot guarantee that. You might be stronger than most demigods, Nico, but you aren't invincible. You would most likely be taken just like everyone else."

Nico looked hurt by the words, but nodded. "Okay. I'll stay right here. I'm not going anywhere."


	28. Chapter 28: Revelations

_AN: Hey, its your girl. I suck. University is hard and anxiety SUCKS so yeah. Its summer so I can finally breathe again._

 _I am not abandoning this story in the slightest, it's just that life has its own ideas._

 _Warnings: angst_

 _Disclaimer: All rights reserved to Rick Riordan. I own nothing, but the plot._

 _This story discusses the themes of self-harm, anxiety, and depression. Trigger warning. Do not read if any of these things upset you. Trigger warning!_

 _Criticism is appreciated, but please no hate. Please review and leave suggestions! Enjoy!_

* * *

Nico's POV

 _He woke up and looked at his surroundings. He was in the Hypnos cabin at Camp Half-Blood._

How did I get here? _He thought. He looked down at his hands. His body was semi-transparent. He was sleeping._

Well this is a better place to dream than the Labyrinth _He thought._

 _"Unfortunately, that is why I brought you here." Nico looked up_.

 _His father, in sharp contrast with his surroundings, sat in a leather armchair in front of a fireplace. On the mantle was a bowl which had the milky water from the River Lethe dripping into it from a tree branch._

 _"Father, what are you doing here?" Nico asked._

 _"Welcome," Hades greeted, gesturing for Nico to sit in the chair besides him. "Since you are not in the Underworld, we will talk in dreams where time is limitless."_

 _"Okay, but why are we here father?"_

 _"I was pondering your situation with being trapped in dreams and such, talking to my sources and the head counsellor here, Clovis..." Hades turned his head to look at the bunk bed. "Clovis!"_

 _Buried under feather comforter, Clovis' bovine face popped up. His hair was unruly. His eyes were cloudy with sleep._

 _"Yes, the dead and I were communing," Clovis informed. He yawned before sitting up. He looked more alert now. "I mean, the lord of the dead and I were communicating."_

 _"About me?" Nico asked._

 _Clovis nodded. He looked far more awake in the dreamscape that he had ever looked in real life. "Yes, about your dream problem."_

 _"Have you found out what's causing it?" Nico asked anxiously._

 _"Er, not yet," Hades admitted. "But, Clovis and I are continuing to compare theories on it. Anyway, the reason we pulled you off your current dream course is that, unless we control it, you will continue to get trapped in your memories."_

 _"How do we prevent that?" Nico asked._

 _"Well, as Will mentioned to you earlier, you sometimes have to go through more pain before you can heal." Clovis reminded._

 _"Your point being-"_

 _"Although I warned this could happen before, we need it to happen now." Hades said._

 _"Stop drawing this out and tell me what's going on," Nico was frustrated._

 _"You have to relive all your memories to be able to heal from them." Hades revealed._

 _"How will reliving them make the coma trapping thing stop?"_

 _Hades and Clovis shared a look. "You have repressed so many of your memories that when you get trapped in your nightmares-"_

 _"-you don't recall if it is reality or fictional- " Hades continued Clovis' words._

 _"And if you can't tell if it is real or fake-" Clovis started._

 _"Then I can't wake myself from a nightmare." Nico finished. "But, people dream all the time and think a dream is real but it isn't. And most of what I dream is my memories so it technically is reality."_

 _"Most people who dream like that are mortal," Hades explained. "You are a demigod so you are bound to have prophetical dreams anyway. And it might have once been a reality, but it is not your current reality."_

 _"There is also evidence of godly interference," Clovis interjected._

 _"How many gods of nightmares and dreams are there?" Nico asked frustrated. "Why is this taking you so long to solve? Aren't you all-seeing?"_

 _His father rubbed his head. "While I am usually omnipotent, someone- some force interfering."_

 _"Is this the force you refused to tell Will and I about?" Nico asked._

 _"It doesn't matter. The point of this meeting was to discuss what to do about your nightmares."_

 _"So I have to relive them." Nico said. "But, I don't choose to have the dreams. They just happen."_

 _"That's not entirely true," Clovis explained. "If something related to your memories triggers you, then you have the nightmares."_

 _"Like being in the Labyrinth." Nico understood. "So to relive the maze, I have to go down there." Realization ran through Nico. "And to relive Tartarus-"_

 _"Obviously we will not be sending you back to Tartarus." His father rushed to reassure him. "Being close to the entrance triggered that- that uh-"_

 _"It's called a panic attack," Nico felt his face flush with embarrassment. His eyes slid over to Clovis. "And I would prefer if the whole camp didn't know about it."_

 _"Oh relax, Nico, I don't need to say anything; the whole camp already knows." Clovis stated._

 _Hades looked aghast at Clovis. "Not helpful." He turned his eyes back to Nico. "Merely focusing on the location or the memory can work as well."_

 _"Do I have to do this now?" Nico asked. "I am kinda- preoccupied with the camp activities."_

 _"What's happening at camp?" Clovis asked, blinking with confusion. Nico and Hades looked at Clovis in shock. Clovis turned red with embarrassment. "I was catching up on my sleep."_

 _Nico pinched the bridge of his nose. "My question stands. Do we have to do this now? I can't afford to be asleep for days on end."_

 _"Time does not exist in the world of dreams and nightmares," Hades reminded. "I will be joining you within your memories and Clovis will be ready to pull you out when necessary."_

 _"When morning arrives or Will wakes you up, I will be able to enter into the mind of your sleeping body and pull you from your memories."_

 _Nico closed his eyes, thinking. He sat down in a chair that had appeared next to him. If this was the only way to stop going into a coma, he guessed he would have to relive his worst memories._

 _"You have to be there?" Nico asked quietly, glancing up at his father._

 _His father looked into his eyes. The usual terrifying fire that burned in them had softened and looked welcoming. "I know it's not what you would have wanted, but it has to be this way. Otherwise, you will be trapped and I might not be able to enter into your nightmare to free you."_

 _Nico felt a wave of panic. "I just- no one knows what I have experienced."_

 _"Sharing your experiences will help you to bear them." His father reassured. "And hopefully overcome them."_

 _"Do I have a choice in the matter?" Nico cut straight to the point._

 _"You always have a choice, but if you do not accept help, you will continue to be plagued by nightmares and flashbacks which may lead to your ultimate demise." His father explained._

 _"Meaning?"_

 _"Either you could get trapped in your memories for the rest of your life, or the pain will become so unbearable that you will continue to self-harm until you end up taking your own life." Hades said bluntly._

 _"I have been self-harming for this long and haven't killed myself-" Nico informed._

 _"Yet, but you have tried multiple times. You don't want to be alive!" His father snapped._

 _"Do we really have to have this conversation right now?" Nico snapped back, waving at Clovis. "With him here? In my head?"_

 _His father had the decency to look ashamed. "You won't talk to me anywhere else. You won't talk to anyone else. At any rate, he's asleep again-"_

 _"And that's MY CHOICE," Nico shouted. "Not yours, not Clovis', not Will's."_

 _"So you want to be trapped in your head?"_

 _"What- of course not," Nico said._

 _"Then what do you want?" His father asked._

 _"I want to be better-"_

 _His father sighed. "You can't be better unless you try to get better."_

 _"Nothing is helping-" Nico said weakly._

 _"That's because you aren't trying anything!"_

 _Something inside Nico broke. "Because I'm scared!" His father closed his mouth in surprise. "I'm scared to heal, I'm scared to go through all this pain again, I'm scared that I won't know who I am anymore."_

 _"Know who you are?" His father asked._

 _Nico breathed in. "I have been in pain, emotional pain for so long. I don't remember what it is like to live without pain… I don't know if I ever have lived without it. My memories from childhood were wiped, I don't even know if those were happy. And after the hotel, I had a couple months of happiness and then… and then…"_

 _"Your sister died." Hades said quietly._

 _Nico swallowed back tears. "I don't- I don't know who I am- I don't know if it is possible for me to be happy without her."_

 _His father leaned forward, "You don't know that you can't be happy; you haven't tried."_

 _Nico scoffed. "When should I have tried? While I was in the Labyrinth? How about when I was in Tartarus?"_

 _"After the Second Giant War, you had time to heal, time to be happy," his father said. "But, you didn't."_

 _"I tried to. I- I started dating Will…"_

 _"Oh please, you did not." His father said. "Entering into a relationship while continuing to hate yourself for your sexuality is not healing."_

 _Nico remained silent._

 _"You didn't face your own demons before you tried to take on another person's." His father pointed out._

 _"You think I shouldn't have started dating Will?" Nico asked._

 _"I'm not saying what you should or shouldn't have done." His father leaned back in his chair, rubbing his forehead. "It doesn't matter now; that's in the past. The only thing you can change is the here and now. Solving this coma problem is a step towards getting better."_

 _Nico closed his eyes taking a deep breath. He understood that if he ever wanted to experience happiness, this was something that he had to do._

 _He opened his eyes. "Where do we start?"_


End file.
